A Kansas businessman is making spirits bright and continuing a 21-year-long Christmas tradition by helping provide meals to those in need – even while going through a battle with his own health. 

“This has been such a special time, and we really couldn’t have done all of this without the community,” Shawn Holiday, co-owner and wife of Doug Holiday, said, describing their family tradition. “But our boys, this is all they’ve ever known since they were little. 

Doug and Shawn Holiday opened the popular Lawrence, Kansas, barbecue spot in 2004 and that’s when they were first approached by the First United Methodist Church for help.

“Since 2004, we’ve been doing this on Christmas Eve. This is what we do. We come in, get the turkeys, clean them out, get them ready to be put in the smoker. If the weather’s bad, the boys and Doug will spend the night here to make sure that all the process for the smoking goes through perfectly,” Shawn Holiday said while explaining the process of getting the dinners ready. 

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This year marks their 21st year of helping prepare meals for the church. In the two decades since they began, Doug says they have cooked over 1,300 turkeys and fed more than 20,000 people.

“So that’s a pretty good record I think,” Doug said with a chuckle.

But this year has been harder than most on the Holiday family. 

Doug Holiday, a three-time cancer survivor, was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the beginning of 2024.

“You just got to keep moving forward. I had a different kind of cancer in 2014 and we did the same thing. My boys chipped in… I got three boys. Now they’re all grown and they all come back and help. And it means a lot to me,” Doug Holiday said, choking back tears.

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Doug Holiday has battled Non-Hodgskin’s lymphoma and melanoma cancer in the past. 

Despite his health battles, Doug said this tradition with his family and the community is what he looks forward to most every holiday season.

“It means the world to me. It really does and makes it so special for me [sharing this with his family] I can’t describe it, it’s a very emotional time,” Doug Holiday said. 

Shawn Holiday said the need for the meals continues to grow in the Lawrence community, and she is constantly amazed by the support they continue to receive each year for this event.

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“It seems like the need keeps growing for the past few years. And so it’s really nice that everybody does jump in to help out the people that need it. I mean, we’ve had things in our personal lives that have, you know, gone sideways. But even if Doug is not feeling well, he would never let the community down,” Shawn Holiday said. 

Shawn added that even their customers have joined in on the holiday giving through the years. 

“We have customers that come in and drop off bags, and they bring in turkeys to donate for the community dinner. I mean, it’s a whole project that everybody does, and it really is an amazing experience,” Shawn continued.

“It shows the amazing people that live in Lawrence, Kansas, and how everyone can get together and for one cause and help each other. And that’s what’s the neat thing about the whole thing. That’s what’s neat about Lawrence, Kansas,” Doug Holiday echoed his wife. 

Doug shared that what makes this all even more special is that he has seen his three grown sons, Seth, Jacob and Ben continue to show up each year and continue the family’s tradition.

“All the boys have grown up. What is amazing is that when we first started this in 2004, it would take 4 to 5 hours probably for us to prepare the turkeys and get them ready for the smoker. And it’s taking less and less time now that they’ve grown,” Doug shared.

“It’s been very, very satisfying for me to know that my sons care and want to help. It’s something I look forward to every year.” 

Anyone wanting to contribute to the community dinner can make donations to the First United Methodist Church of Lawrence, Kansas, or the American Cancer Society. 

Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto contributed to this report.