This 81-year-old hosts Thanksgiving dinner for thousands!

In 1970, grocer Bob Vogelbaugh discovered that an elderly customer would be alone on Thanksgiving. So he invited her and some others who had nowhere to go over for the holiday dinner. He has done it every year since, and today, he provides a Thanksgiving meal-and love-to more than 3,000 people!

- Kellie B. Gormly

Bob Vogelbaugh remembers the 90-something year-old woman who came into his little grocery store, Bob's Market, in Moline, Illinois, back in 1970. It was just days before Thanksgiving, and, as the woman named Rose unloaded her cart, Bob noticed that she didn't have any fixings for a holiday meal.

"Where's your turkey?" he asked.

"I'm not cooking turkey for just one person," she answered, unloading the rest of her things.

How sad, Bob thought. This nice lady is going to be alone for Thanksgiving. That shouldn't happen.

An idea popped into Bob's head, and he called his mother. "There's going to be one less head at the house this year, Mom," he told her. "I'm doing a Thanksgiving at my store."

Bob immediately contacted Rose and some other older customers he thought might also be spending the holiday alone and invited them to come to Thanksgiving dinner in the back of his store.

The then-29-year-old single grocer cooked up a feast for his 12 guests, who couldn't thank him enough. He had to admit, it was one of the best Thanksgivings he'd ever had and it began an annual tradition.

All are welcome

For the next few years, Bob hosted Thanksgiving dinner in the back of his store, welcoming anyone in his community who wanted to come. Many were elderly folks who had no family or family living too far away. Others were people who had fallen on hard times.