There’s no substitute for experience.

And for the Hollandale Christian School fall supper, it’s all about experience.

From a core group of organizers, numerous committees, kids in the school’s older grades and even people who don’t have any connection to the school anymore, everybody pitches in to make the event one of the school’s biggest fundraisers.

This year’s supper will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at the school. For a donation, people will be served turkey, stuffing, ham, mashed potatoes, carrots, baked beans, baked apples, cranberry sauce, Chinese salad and desserts.

Last year, more than 1,000 people came for the event, said Karen Posthumus, one of the event’s tri-chairwomen along with Diana Stegenga and Tina Feuerhak.

“It’s a fun time when we’re working together on events like this as parents,” Stengenga said. “It’s for the community.”

Numerous committees have been working and planning to make sure everything is lined up and ready to go. Each school family will pitch in and help by taking a shift to work at the supper or do prep work. They’ve borrowed roasters, coffee pots, tables and chairs from area churches. They’ve lined up food donations. They’ve arranged food storage and transport.

Students in grades 5 through 8 have a key role at the supper. They take desserts to serving lines, pick up trays and help with garbage duty.

“They can’t wait until they’re old enough to carry the trays,” Feuerhak said.

There are approximately 100 volunteer jobs that night alone, not to mention the 60 to 70 volunteers bringing pans of dessert.

The desserts are made by mothers and grandmothers of the students and even people in the Hollandale community who don’t have a family connection to the school anymore.

Feeding more than 1,000 people calls for 430 pounds of turkey, 125 pounds of ham, 400 pounds of potatoes, 13 gallons of beans, seven bushels of apples, 10 gallons of cranberries, 90 dozen buns, 800 cups of coffee and about 1,000 pieces of dessert, as well as gravy, stuffing carrots and salad.

Many of the food items are donated and come from Mrs. Gerry’s Kitchen, Sampson Dairy, Ventura Foods, Superfresh Produce and Bakery, The Savory Skillet, Twix Construction, Arrow Printing, Hoffman Farms and countless individuals.

The key, the organizers said, is to keep good notes. Each year, good notes are kept. They detail what worked and what didn’t and are passed onto the next group of chairwomen.

Proceeds from the supper help to purchase general classroom supplies. Over the years, the supper has helped to purchase library books, new desks, chairs, music supplies, an updated curriculum and computer supplies.

In addition, the Harmony Helpers, the mothers of the school who help organize the supper, donate money to the school to help keep tuition down for all the students.

The annual fall supper began as an organized potluck in 1982, when the school moved into its current building. In 1990, those in charge decided to make it a Thanksgiving meal instead.

Five years ago, organizers consulted with a caterer who offered suggestions about how to more efficiently serve the food, so now there are three lines and hardly any line to wait in. Guests are seated in the gym as well as in the hallway. There is even a special line for getting carryout meals.

“It’s just a fun night to be working together,” said Posthumus.