FARMINGTON – Seven years ago, volunteers served up 50 to 75 meals for the first free Thanksgiving Day dinner. This year, they’re expecting to dish up more than 300.

The majority of them will be delivered to the homes of those signing up for the meal, organizers said.

The seventh annual Augusta Valley Scottish Rite Masons-sponsored turkey dinner will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Mt. Blue High School in Farmington.

“We’ve got well over 100 people who have called in to have meals delivered to them, and there is still the rest of this week and next week to go,” Charlene Cox said Thursday. She and her husband, Rufus, of New Sharon, have been spearheading the effort since it started in 2001. To get a free meal, contact them at 779-0641.

The traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner will be offered, including turkey, squash, mashed potatoes, peas, stuffing, cranberry sauce, homemade rolls and pies.

Students in the Mt. Blue High School’s National Honor Society and Jobs for Maine Graduates program are pitching in again to help this year.

They come in early to start peeling potatoes and some stick around to make deliveries before they head home to have dinner with their families, Charlene Cox said.

With the number of people served increasing each year, so has the amount of food.

In 2006, 11 turkeys, or about 225 pounds of meat were cooked. This year, 20 turkeys, adding up to about 400 pounds, will be prepared, Cox said.

Two years ago, 100 pounds of potatoes were peeled; this Thanksgiving, it’ll be 250 pounds, she said.

Turnips were dropped from the menu several years ago, since many people didn’t favor them. Peas now are served instead, and this year’s total should reach 60 pounds, up from 50 pounds.

This Thanksgiving they’ll be cooking 175 pounds of squash, up from 70 pounds cooked in 2006.

Six dozen rolls will be added this year to the 25 dozen baked two years ago.

The only item to see a decrease this year are pies. Last year, they had 72 pies, this season it will drop to 60, Cox said. In 2006, volunteers baked 26 pies.

Volunteers are a big part of the dinner’s success, Cox said.

At least 35 volunteers from the community, school, Masons and even legislators dedicate their time toward the project the day of the event, she said.