Thanksgiving is next Thursday, but the children at Leika’s Preschool wasted no time Friday saying their thanks.

Parents, grandparents and others gathered at Church Street United Methodist Church to watch the annual program.

“We’ve been doing it for so many years and so many of the parents and the grandparents did this very same program when they were at Leika’s. It’s just long-running,” said Joy Green, who played the piano during the program and has directed it with Mary Drue Wheeler since 1987. “What we do is we try to teach the children that it’s not a performance, but it’s a worship service.”

The children performed songs like “When I’m Happy, I like to Sing” and “Thank you Lord, for this Fine Day” along with some Thanksgiving traditions like “Thanksgiving Day” and “The Thanksgiving Story.”

“This is just so much more special because it is supposed to be a worship service. They’re supposed to be thanking God for all the many blessings that we have,” Wheeler said. “Thanksgiving is a special part of our heritage, and it really culminates in what we feel like the Lord has blessed us with.”

Wheeler said that the children love participating in the program and entertaining their families.

“They thoroughly enjoy entertaining their parents,” Wheeler said. “It’s just unbelievable what we can do [in a short amount of time]. And the children get it too.”

Green said it takes a lot of time and patience to put it on, and a lot of practice for the children.

“We start three weeks in advance and we practice every single day and then we come practice in the sanctuary,” Green said. “Preschoolers can be unpredictable, but I think they were pretty good today.”

Green said she and Wheeler love what they do and always have fun working with the young kids.

“We are just blessed to have such a fun job and to be able to count on these children,” Green said. “It is amazing.”

Putting on the program is all about the meaning behind it, Green said, and it’s a tradition that the community loves.

“The whole thing is to give thanks to God for the blessings that he’s given us. That’s a real important part of our school. This is our way to share that with our community,” Green said.