Mooseheart boys give thanks

It is perhaps the quintessential blended family.

The James J. Davis home on the 1,000-acre campus of Mooseheart Child City and School on Route 31 just south of Batavia is inhabited by nine boys who are not related by blood, except for a pair of brothers. They represent varied backgrounds and cultures, range in age from 11 to 15, and come from different parts of the country.

Mainly for financial reasons, eight of them couldn't be with their family of origin for Thanksgiving this year.

So they shared a traditional dinner Thursday with each other, and with their three house parents.

And that dinner included salmon.

"It reminds me of home," said Jeff Kalleck, 15, who comes from Oregon. "I like salmon. I have fished for salmon and caught it. It boosts your energy."

In their spacious living room, they proudly pointed out a completed jigsaw puzzle of three dolphins, to which they all contributed. Another finished jigsaw project, a Paris scene, is framed and hangs on the wall, signed by those who put together the pieces.

They also reflected on Thanksgiving without family.

"My family usually all gets together for Thanksgiving," said Isaiah Brigman, 14. "We'd go to one of my aunt's homes. But being here reminds me of family. Mark and Colleen (house parents Mark and Colleen Morgan) are here with us today even though it's their day off."

"Do you want to know what I'm grateful for?" asks 11-year-old Willie Nicholas, who ably handled duties as host and guide. "I'm grateful for my $36,000 scholarship, for a good education, and for a roof over my head."

"My family usually cooks Puerto Rican food," said Cameron Steele, 11, who was joined for dinner by his brother Kris Barnard, 17, who lives in another residence. "I have some recipes, but we can't make them because they use wine."

The Morgans share duties with teacher Mandy Ahrens, who was also on hand to share Thanksgiving.

A Nebraska native, like a few of her charges, she contributed a traditional Nebraska dish that blends corn and macaroni and cheese. The menu also included deviled eggs, a favorite of the majority and thus a must for dinner.

"My parents were family teachers at Boys Town," Ahrens said. She is new to her job and spending her first Thanksgiving at Mooseheart.

"Being here is what I do. It feels normal."

Mooseheart is a residential child-care facility supported by the Order of Moose.

For more information, visit www.mooseintl.org.