Members of the Escalon American Legion and American Legion Riders welcomed family and friends to a special holiday gathering on Friday evening, Dec. 10.

Hosted at the Legion Post on Second Street, the festivities included a catered dinner, drawings for prizes and a game that involved all those attending, with the chance to win some holiday spending money.

Legion members Al Bellinger, Vince Giovaniello and Casey den Ouden welcomed the crowd and thanked them for their support of the Legion and its activities throughout the year.

Next up for the group, several members will be taking part in the Christmas toy distribution planned at the Escalon firehouse on Coley Avenue on Wednesday, Dec. 22.

An unexpected snafu in planning for the dinner originally left attendees with no dessert … but Post member Allan Lial quickly solved the issue: he made the first donation and then took up an impromptu collection, arranging a quick trip to MarVal Main Street Market for some pies and cakes to serve to close out the meal on a sweet note.

Several local businesses also donated prizes, from gift cards to candy, American flags to nuts and cheeses, for the raffle drawings.