Veterans and first responders were treated to a special Thanksgiving meal at the Statler hotel. The hotel has been hosting this event for eight years now as a way to say thank you to our heroes.  

"Thankful for being around friends and family," said one veteran.

"Family is everything, community is everything, food is everything."

Active and veterans from all branches were in attendance and say this small gesture means a lot to them.

"Currently active duty 19 years, with the Coast Guard. It means the world because there's been plenty of years where I wasn't able to spend time with them, so every chance I do get, you know, it's great," said Abram Fernandez.

As families loaded up their plates and made their way to a table, they sat down among friends and family and enjoyed the simple joys of life.

"You know, it's actually very important just because some of us don't have a lot of people left in our family, so the people that we do have left, and we try to make the best out of it," said a first responder.

On this day, many pause and reflect on what they are thankful for.

"Health is a big thing," said the family of a first responder. "I went through a lot of health issues with epilepsy and all that stuff this year, and to be able to do this, and this was only months ago that I was hospitalized for it, so it's been a challenging year, but I'm thankful to be here with my family and friends that I love so much."