LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — What started as one family feeding their neighbors has grown into a valley-wide effort to distribute hundreds of turkeys to Las Vegas families.
Phil Tatum has been organizing the annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway for 40 years. This year, volunteers distributed 237 turkeys to community members who brought toys as donations.
“The first year, I did 4 turkeys, and I gave them to my neighbors, and then it was 10, and then it was 20, and then it was 50, and then 100,” Tatum said.
The event requires extensive coordination among volunteers to prepare and distribute the turkeys.
“It’s a lot of work, and we have a lot of volunteers. For everything to come together, it takes all of us,” Tatum said.
Partnership with burn foundation
Beyond Tatum’s family, there is an open invitation for people to join the turkey party.
The price of admission? Just bring a children’s toy.
The turkey giveaway partners with the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation to collect toys for local families during the holidays.
“What makes this partnership and collaboration so unique is that it’s allowing us to connect with people we normally wouldn’t,” said Nino Galloway of the Firefighters of Southern Nevada Burn Foundation.
Galloway said the partnership has continued for 15-16 years as a way to serve the community during the holiday season.
Tatum views the annual event as his way of giving back to Las Vegas.
“This is what I give back to Las Vegas. It’s been good to me, and we need to give something in return,” he said.
Emotional response from family giving back
Kim Dye, who helps organize the event, said the community response has been overwhelming.
“We are just so grateful for all of our guests, every one of them to come and donate the toys that they’ve donated. They’ve donated their time. The work is insane that it takes to pull this off,” Dye said.
“We’re trying to pass it down to our younger generation, our nieces and nephews. They’ve been taking the reigns, and we are grateful for the effort.”
Organizers ensure no food goes to waste. Leftover turkeys are taken to fire stations, and some people request turkeys to give to others in need.
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