By Nicholas Pieroni

Some students don’t get the luxury of traveling home for a homemade Thanksgiving dinner.

The UK Alumni Association and the UK Office of International Affairs are hosting their sixth annual Multicultural Student Thanksgiving Dinner from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Student Center Grand Ballroom for all students, including international students, who cannot indulge with family on Thanksgiving Day.

“We’ll be serving all the traditional Thanksgiving foods — turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn pudding, cranberry sauce, rolls, green beans and pecan or pumpkin pie for dessert,” dinner coordinator Meg Phillips said. “There will also be vegetarian options available.”

Students at the dinner will have an opportunity to take a Thanksgiving quiz. The top scores will be entered into a raffle to win a UK prize pack.  Students also have a chance to win door prizes drawn throughout the night.

Cammie Grant, president of the UK Alumni Association, Shane Carlin, from the Alumni Association Board of Directors and President Eli Capilouto will  speak at the dinner, Phillips said.

It has become a tradition for the Alumni Association and the International Affairs office to host the dinner.

“The event is really a chance for us to reach out to students who may not be able to make it home for Thanksgiving or who haven’t celebrated a traditional American Thanksgiving,” Phillips said. “We’re able to provide them a good meal with other members of the UK community.”

Chicago native and UK sophomore Tyler Clark is not heading home for the holidays this year. This will be Clark’s first year away from his family on Thanksgiving.

“It is hard being six hours away,” Clark said. “But I couldn’t imagine being halfway across the globe from my family.”

Phillips and the rest of the staff are highly anticipating the dinner.

“We’re very excited about the event and expect to have a record crowd this year,” Phillips said.