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Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts hundreds of veterans for holiday

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hundreds of veterans and active duty military members and their families celebrated Thanksgiving at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Lowe's sponsored the dinner, where families had an opportunity to take picture with Santa, see the Christmas lights display and eat a full Thanksgiving meal.

U.S. Army Officer Javoris Turner was there with his wife and two sons, after he recently returned from his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

He said he missed spending time with his family.

"I thought it was pretty cool we could have the kids see Santa and have a nice dinner together," Turner said.

Another family was facing deployment in just a few months.

Bianca Raby said her husband Josh, who is a C-130 mechanic, will leave for Afghanistan in January, his first tour of duty.

"I'm a little nervous, nervous to be by myself with my daughter," Raby said.

She said this Thanksgiving was bittersweet, but she was happy to spend it with her husband and daughter.

"You have to live life one day at a time, you never know what can happen," Raby said.