Photo Provided The Elks in Martins Ferry will be having its annual turkey dinner from 4-7 p.m. Jan 9 at its lodge. The meal is free to all military veterans.

MARTINS FERRY — A local group will honor military veterans for their service with a free meal Saturday.

Veterans will be able to eat for free at the Martins Ferry Elks annual turkey dinner. The dinner takes place from 4-7 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Elks in Martins Ferry. Veterans can eat for free, and it will be $5 for their significant other. The dinner will include turkey, mashed and sweet potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, applesauce, cranberry sauce, rolls and dessert.

The dinner is sponsored by the Elks in Martins Ferry through its fundraising efforts and a portion of money comes from the Elks National Foundation.

All veterans are welcome, and any who attend will receive free new hats signifying their veteran status.

“It’s our way of saying, thank you for your service,” said Frank Papini, past exalted ruler of the Elks lodge. “This is a yearly thing with us. And basically, that’s what it’s for. You come and eat with us, and we thank you for your service.”

On Veterans Day, the Elks will visit eight nursing homes around the Ohio Valley to pass out 52 gift bags of gear to veterans. Papani said the Elks received the gear from its Freedom Grant Program.

The bags will include a leisure outfit with fleece pants, a zip hoodie, slipper socks, three pairs of socks, a veteran’s hat and an Afghan. Other items in the gift bags will include personal hygiene products and cookies that were collected from school children at Martins Ferry, Bellaire, St. Mary Central School in Martins Ferry and St. Clairsville and the Martins Ferry Christian schools. Retired teachers of Belmont County also helped collect items.

“These people, we go to nursing homes and we give them these bags and stuff, and it’s just like Christmas to them,” Papini said. “It’s just a joy to help them, and also to remind them that we appreciate what they’ve done for us. And it makes us feel good doing it and they love it.”