Two days after a drive-thru event at Algin Sutton Recreation Center, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation (LADF) held a 17th annual Community Thanksgiving Turkey Giveaway at Dodger Stadium to distribute 1,500 meals to individual families in need and not-for-profit organizations.
Phil Bickford, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Justin Turner, Kourtney Turner, Alex Vesia, Andrew Vasquez and Fernando Valenzuela joined LADF personnel and other volunteers to load turkeys and bags of Thanksgiving fixings into cars.
“It’s always a good feeling to give back to the community any way we can. For all these people to come together and volunteer to hand out turkeys and all that stuff, it’s an honor to be a part of that,” Gonsolin said.
The Dodgers teammates not only hand-delivered Thanksgiving meals, they posed for pictures and spoke with attendees as they passed through the event.
“I’m honored to do this. It’s been something that I’ve been looking forward to since I got the call to be out here,” Vesia said. “Dodger fans support us day in and day out, and it’s good to give back to them when they need something.”
Justin Turner added: “It’s an amazing time of year to get out here to the stadium. People coming through, grabbing through their Thanksgiving meals, the turkey and bags of extra stuff, the sides, desserts, it’s just cool and something we shouldn’t take lightly and I don’t think the Dodgers take lightly.”
Dodgers make impact at needed time
Between the events at Algin Sutton Park and Dodger Stadium, the LADF provided 2,500 Thanksgiving meals to families in need. Mookie Betts helped lead the efforts on Wednesday, which was in partnership with Brotherhood Crusade, Acts Inspired by Mookie and Magic Johnson Enterprises.
“You’ve got to remember where you came from. For me, I came from an area like this in Nashville,” Betts said from the site of the first and 50th Dodgers Dreamfields. “I finally got to my spot in life where I can give back, and you never know whose day you can affect.
“I do anything and everything I can to help out … This is like my home now. You’ve got to help your hometown. I’m going to be here for a long time, and really I’m just here to help anyone.”
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