Couple’s cornucopia of goodwill fed a dozen students this Thanksgiving

Thirteen students from the School of Medicine, along with one School of Nursing student and a sibling of a medical student, shared in a Thanksgiving dinner at the home of Dr. John Blanton, a physician at Yale HEALTH and associate clinical professor of pediatrics, and his wife, Beth Balschi Blanton.

Inviting students who are unable to visit with their own families over the Thanksgiving holiday has become a tradition for the Blantons, who also drew a large crowd last year.

The hosts offered a hearty meal that included 4 quarts of soup; assorted appetizers; 2 large tossed salads; 19 pounds of turkey; 4 pounds of green bean casserole; 6 pounds of sweet potatoes; 5 pounds of mashed potatoes; 7 pounds of roasted vegetables; 2 large pans of stuffing; 1 apple pie (served with vanilla ice cream); 1 cheesecake; a platter of cookies; and fresh fruit. Balschi Blanton, who made most of the meal, noted that her guests “were really big eaters!”

Photographs from the holiday dinner show happy holiday revelers, who are, no doubt, thankful both for the bounty and the generosity of their hosts.

— By Susan Gonzalez