What began years ago as a grassroots effort among local tavern owners has grown into a large-scale holiday celebration in Antioch.

On Dec. 6 at VFW Post 4551, a community of volunteers will come together united by a shared mission to give sailors and veterans a meaningful holiday experience.

“It’s all about giving them a piece of home,” said April Andrews, who helps lead the annual Antioch Community Sailors Dinner.

Now in its 16th year, the event brings together U.S. Navy sailors from Great Lakes Naval Station and veterans from the Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago. They’re treated to an evening of holiday food, music and community connection.

The event will include a visit from four comfort dogs from Canines 4 Comfort, in partnership with the Libertyville Fire and Police Departments, Grayslake Police and Waukegan Fire. The dogs were a hit during a previous visit, especially for sailors missing pets back home.

“Many of these sailors are spending their first holiday away from family,” Andrews said. “They could be going off to war at any moment. Seeing them singing carols arm in arm with veterans, it takes your breath away.”

When one of the dinner’s original founders fell ill several years ago, Antioch Village Trustee Scott Pierce stepped in to help lead the effort. He’s been at the heart of it ever since as both president and the man in the red suit.

Pierce, a U.S. Navy veteran who served on active duty from 1980 to 1991 and later in the reserves until 2001, says the mission hits home for him.

“I knew the importance of the holidays and not being home,” Pierce said. “You can see the effect it has on sailors. They come in with a look of, ‘What am I doing here?’ By the time they leave, they’re smiling. They have that brief moment where they’re like kids again, celebrating the holiday. It makes it all worthwhile.”

Pierce’s Santa role is part tradition, part comic relief. Sailors line up for photos, group shots and even selfies.

“You wouldn’t expect that with sailors,” Pierce said. “But they come back for more pictures. I go around and talk to them. We’ve danced, we tell jokes, we high-five. We just interact with them in a positive way that makes their night.”

The long-running event is run by a roughly 10-member committee with the support of more than 70 volunteers, dozens of donors and multiple community partners. The event typically draws anywhere from 150 to 400 sailors, depending on training schedules.

“They’re very transient at that point in their lives,” Pierce said. “We never know from year to year, but we’re ready for whoever walks through the door.”

The evening features a full holiday meal prepared by committee vice president Bill Mellen, with help and donations from Piggly Wiggly, local businesses and community partners. The operation includes roughly 200 pounds of inside round, 200 pounds of ham and this year’s new addition, mac and cheese.

Sailors also receive swag bags filled with snacks, gift cards and handwritten notes from Antioch District 34 students. Raymond Chevrolet covers the cost of the coach buses transporting sailors from Great Lakes to the VFW. Other donors include American Place Casino, the Antioch Lions Club and numerous community members who contribute funds, candy, gifts and prize items.

“We have so many fundraisers and stuff we do in our town, and this sailor dinner is where we get the most calls and questions for people to help,” Mellen said. “We actually have a waiting list of people wanting to help out.”

The night carries a personal meaning for Andrews, whose grandfather served in the Navy during World War II and whose family has long been connected to the Antioch VFW.

“It’s honoring the men and women giving to our country,” she said. “It makes you go home and say, ‘I’m thankful and blessed, and it’s because of these men and women that we get to have the freedoms we do.”