Pitsgiving Keeps Giving: Deacon Dining Promotes Sustainable Ways to Reuse Thanksgiving Leftovers

Winston-Salem, NC — On November 26, 2024, Deacon Dining hosted a special event in The Pit at Reynolda Hall, highlighting the importance of sustainability and reducing food waste following the Thanksgiving holiday. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., students and faculty gathered to explore creative ways to reuse Thanksgiving leftovers, following a successful food donation initiative earlier in the week.

The event, aptly named Pitsgiving Keeps Giving, was a continuation of the beloved Pitsgiving event held on November 21. While Pitsgiving is a highly anticipated campus tradition, it often results in a significant amount of uneaten food. To address this, Deacon Dining collaborated with Deacon Dining’s Sustainability Coordinator, Quin Wolters, to donate the leftover food to Campus Kitchen. From there, the food was transported to Samaritan Ministries, where it was repurposed into new meals for distribution to nonprofit organizations and the community. In total, 104 pans of food—ranging from ham and stuffing to mashed potatoes, green beans, and carrots—were donated, helping to minimize waste and support those in need.

Building on this effort, the Pitsgiving Keeps Giving event offered an opportunity to continue the conversation about sustainable practices. Deacon Dining’s International Grill station served Thanksgiving-themed egg rolls, featuring a delicious mix of leftover turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. The station was complemented by a pop-up from sustainability intern Isabella Gerace, who encouraged participants to think outside the box when reusing their own Thanksgiving leftovers.

The sustainability team, along with the Bakery Chefs, treated attendees to Thanksgiving-inspired apple cider and cranberry mocktails, sweet potato biscuits, and an assortment of fruit and honey butters. The event also featured a chalkboard where guests were encouraged to jot down their favorite ways to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers. Suggestions ranged from Thanksgiving sandwiches to loaded mashed potatoes, egg rolls, and even leftover stew.

Alongside the festivities, the sustainability team shared some eye-opening statistics on food waste. Every year, approximately 305 million pounds of food are wasted from Thanksgiving dinners alone. To combat this, they offered a few simple tips to help reduce waste in future holiday meals:

• Plan your menu carefully and think about creative ideas for leftovers beforehand.
• Allow guests to choose which leftovers they’d like to take home to increase the likelihood of consumption.
• Encourage guests to bring containers or have extra on hand for easy leftovers storage.

The Pitsgiving Keeps Giving event not only provided delicious food and fun, but also raised awareness about the importance of sustainability and responsible consumption during the holiday season. By rethinking how we handle leftovers, Deacon Dining hopes to inspire others to take small steps toward reducing food waste and giving back to the community.

As the sustainability team wrapped up the event, they reminded everyone: “How do you reuse your Thanksgiving leftovers?”