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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Tragedy can strike at any moment, and the city of Idaho Falls is offering a service to reduce that risk.

Starting the day after Thanksgiving, the Greater Idaho Falls Transit is providing the “gift” of free late-night public transportation as part of a grant-funded initiative to promote safe and sober travel over the holidays.

The complimentary service runs through December 31, 2025, including Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Free rides are only available after 7:00 P.M. on Fridays and Saturdays.

“What this does is it allows people to have a free, safe, sober ride to make just better decisions. Give people the gift of getting home safely for the holiday season,” said Kade Marquez, transit coordinator for the city of Idaho Falls.

The transportation service is only available within the Idaho Falls city limits. For more information on the free rides, click HERE.

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — Hundreds filled the Rexburg Tabernacle on Thursday morning, November 27th, to kick off their Thanksgiving celebrations at a cherished local event.

Attendees were treated to a heartfelt musical performance by the local choir, alongside several talks focused on the spirit of the season of giving.

This annual community event is a long-standing tradition, having been hosted for over 40 years, and is entirely organized by dedicated community volunteers.

“It’s really easy on Thanksgiving to sort of get busy with the food and the family and whatever else is happening and forget that. The point is to think about our blessings and to really focus on the things that are beautiful in life,” said Heide Pyper music specialist for the Cultural Arts Department of the City of Rexburg. “So I hope that’s what people can do. They come and just sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, the beautiful music, focus on our blessings, and then they can go home and start really the holiday season with that in their hearts. It’s it’s a great thing.”

Many who attended told Local News 8 that they make it a point to go every year, viewing the service as an essential way to set a reflective and grateful tone for their Thanksgiving festivities. For some, the traditional gathering has firmly become a cornerstone of their family’s holiday traditions.

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– With nearly 80 volunteers filling the kitchen and dining hall, the Salvation Army of Idaho Falls continued its over 40-year Thanksgiving tradition Thursday morning, serving meals and spreading the message that everyone deserves a loving community and a full belly.

“It started out of the love of people, and it started with a desire to make people feel seen, valued and loved so much,” Lt. Jon-Marc Lamb of the Salvation Army of Idaho Falls said.

This tradition has been running for over 40 years, but would not have been possible without the help of volunteers.

“Today we have about 80 volunteers. We have volunteers helping in the kitchen with dishes, serving our community, delivering meals for people who are homebound, and just anything people can help with today. That’s what we have volunteers,” Lt. Brianna Lamb of the Salvation Army of Idaho Falls said.

Every year, the event serves about a thousand people each year.

At the beginning of the event, both Lieutenant Brianna and Jon-Marc Lamb made their remarks and joined everyone for a prayer in English and Spanish.

Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper was honored with a crystal bell and carved the turkey after her speech.

“This is where the rubber meets the road in terms of community and terms of service, in terms of, generous spirit. These are the things that make a community special,” Mayor Casper said.

One of the long time chefs, Juan Contreras, was given a white chef jacket to honor his hard work and dedication over the years.

“(We) want to thank the families that are come here every year. This isn’t just a one time thing for many of our volunteer families. They come with their children up the work as young as five years old because they have their kids helping here, because they want their kids to also see what they can be doing and things like that,” Brianna Lamb said.