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Turkey Hunters Give Back During the Holiday
That means millions go without a hot, Thanksgiving meal. With these people in mind, and in keeping with the spirit of giving back, the National Wild Turkey Federation stepped up to start the Turkey Hunters Care program. Through the program, local NWTF chapter volunteers team up with church ministries, food pantries, children’s organizations, homeless shelters, National Guard units and other civic service organizations to donate turkeys. “With more than 2,200 chapters nationwide, the impact of such a volunteer effort is limitless,” said Rob Keck, CEO of the NWTF. “If each of the NWTF’s more than 500,000 members donated only one turkey, imagine the difference one organization can make.” Since the inception of Turkey Hunters Care in 2001, 38,714 turkeys have been given out to families in need. “Volunteers in our chapters embraced this program because that’s the type of people they are,” said Dick Rosenlieb, senior vice president of sales and marketing for the NWTF. “We are always trying to come up with ideas to give back to local communities, and this program was a natural fit.” In 2005 alone, 322 chapters in all 50 states and five Canadian provinces handed out 12,126 turkeys, an equivalent to 72,756 meals. “Providing meals to those who need them most was the goal of the program from the beginning,” said NWTF Chief Operations Officer, Carl Brown. “The spirit of giving back is what the NWTF was founded on ands we will continue in this spirit for many years to come.” In 2004, Turkey Hunters Care noticed a different type of need in communities across the country. With thousands of military men and women serving overseas, the NWTF decided their families in the States would not be forgotten. For that reason, NWTF’s Kinni Gobblers chapter of River Falls, Wis., and the North Central Heartland chapter of Concordia, Kan., contacted their community’s local military bases and inquired about helping, and the response was tremendous. “We were a new chapter looking to participate in a good cause within our community,” said Denny Moline, banquet coordinator of the Kinni Gobblers chapter. “We really wanted to show the families that we’re proud of our soldiers serving in Iraq and overseas.” The program donated 1,985 turkeys its first year, and since that time has consecutively handed out more than 10,000 turkeys a year. “This program is an extension of the values we embrace as an organization,” Brown said. “We care about people in the local communities and Turkey Hunters Care is one way for us to give back.” By the Numbers
1.6 billion pounds: The total weight of sweet potatoes —
a popular Thanksgiving side dish — produced in the United States in 2004.
North Carolina (688 million pounds) produced more sweet potatoes than any other
state. It was followed by California (339 million pounds). Mississippi and Louisiana
also produced large amounts: at least 200 million pounds each. 998 million pounds: Total pumpkin production of major pumpkin-producing
states in 2004. Illinois, with a production of 457 million pounds, led the country.
Pumpkin patches in California, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York also
produced a lot of pumpkins: each state produced at least 70 million pounds worth.
The value of all the pumpkins produced by these states was about $100 million. 13.7 pounds: The quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2003 and, if tradition holds true, a hearty helping of it was devoured at Thanksgiving time. On the other hand, per capita sweet potato consumption was 4.7 pounds. (From the upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2006)
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