2000 Turkeys campaign concludes
In the days after Thanksgiving, 2000 Turkeys donations continued to trickle in.
The 2000 Turkeys board, on behalf of families who were able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner because of generous donations from Washington County residents, businesses and organizations, can’t thank you enough.
The total raised during the 2014 campaign was $117,489, exceeding the 2000 Turkeys goal of $100,000. More than 5,400 Washington County families who find themselves down on their luck because they lost a job, suffered an illness, are senior citizens on a fixed budget, or for some other reason, sat down with their loved ones and celebrated the holiday because of your generosity.
The 2000 Turkeys board members – Grace Hopwood, Karen Mansfield, Matt Pitzarella, Pete Povich, David Rhome and Tim Solobay – hope there’s a day when they no longer have to get together at the beginning of October and spend the next eight weeks commandeering WJPA radio station to ask for donations.
But the board will, as long as it has to.
And we know Washington County will continue to come through for their less fortunate neighbors, just as it has for more than 30 years, when Hopwood and the late Wayne Armstrong and Byron Smialek launched 2000 Turkeys as seasonal food campaign in a city parking lot, inviting motorists to drop off cans of food that were then distributed by the Salvation Army to the county’s unemployed steelworkers and coal miners.
Smialek once wrote a column called “Dear Lucky.” In it, he wrote, “Well, Lucky, if you have a job and you are able to pay your bills and feed your family, we need your help.”
Thank you again, Washington County, for your help.
Thanks to the following who generously donated to the 2000 Turkeys campaign:
Carl & Bonnie Zellie $50
Sandra & Denny Phillips $100
In loving memory of my husband Bernard Bizzack from Rosemarie Bizzack $50
Ladies of the Elks No. 776 $205
In memory of Kevin Pentland $20
Russell & Carmella Gillis $20
In memory of Byron Smialek & John Bier from Ed & Gloria Likar $50
George & Michele Rose $30
Arthur & Anna Batson $20
Charles & Yvonne Clouser $25
In memory of Joseph Testa, Jr. from Debbie Testa $20
In memory of my husband William C Marchewka from Beverly Marchewka $20
Judith Barnhill $15
Suzan Marcischak $50
Wray Lynch $100
Esther & Arne Sten $20
Anonymous $40
Kenneth J Rhodes, Rhodes Carpet $1000
L & M Cleaning Services $100
Sams Pizza $1000
Kang’s Black Belt Academy $2000
Rich Russo, B. Totterdale, Marty Zupanic $40
In memory of Herky Hughes from wife Martha & children Jodi, Larry & Cary $100
Trinity Area Educators $100
Justin & Amy Smith $25