AIKEN, S.C. (WJBF)- A Thanksgiving tradition that’s been going on since 2007 is taking a year off–or at least those involved hope.

The One Table event has been happening on Thanksgiving Day each year, and it brings hundreds from around Aiken County and beyond.

Organizer Kathryn Wade says this event has fed between 400 and 1200 people in years past, but this year there won’t be a big feast on Newberry Street.

“We don’t have the kitchen to do it,” said Wade. “We need to have the ability to refrigerate and to eat food. And if we don’t have that kitchen, we can’t do it.”

Wade has helped coordinate the event for most of its existence.

While she’s pulled the parts together, one of the most important pieces has been Newberry Hall–which has provided the kitchen they need.

Owner Patrick Carlisle has helped with 10 One Table events, but he says with a very busy schedule coming up, he needed to have time for his staff to take a break.

“They really felt like with our upcoming schedule that we have–going into November, December, and coming in the new year through January–they felt they might only have this little bit of time to get with family,” said Carlisle.

Carlisle adds that his team are holding events the days before and after Thanksgiving Day, so it would put too much pressure on his staff.

As for the future of One Table, Wade says she would like to see it continue going forward: but if it does it needs to be on a smaller scale.

Wade says she has thoroughly enjoyed coordinating the event for all these years, and spending many thanksgivings with the Aiken family–but she wants to get back to having Thanksgiving with her own.

“My mom died this year, and I have an ailing dad,” said Wade. “And I want to be able to spend thanksgivings with my family–which I haven’t done for many, many years–and I just want to have those experiences while I still have my dad.”

On top of that, she says it’s become too much for her to organize everything on her own.

“We all make sacrifices, and I’m more than happy to make sacrifices going forward, but maybe this is a wake up call saying it’s time for someone else to take the reigns,” said Wade.

It is not confirmed that One Table will happen in 2024, but one again Wade is hopeful that it will.

However, Carlisle says he is confident that it will.

“It’ll definitely be back,” said Carlisle. “This is an event that brings this community of Aiken and those abroad together, and I believe we can get the volunteers and staff to have it again. It’s a wonderful thing.”