2000 Turkeys fund drive kicks off
Money raised to provide Thanksgiving meals to families in need
Courtesy of 2000 Turkeys
To bridge the gap for those experiencing food insecurities, the 42nd annual 2000 Turkeys fundraising campaign kicked off Thursday to provide families in need with food for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Donations will help the Greater Washington County Food Bank/Food Helpers and City Mission Boxes of Love to provide Thanksgiving dinners to Washington County families in need.
And the need is tremendous.
“There are more than 21,000 residents in Washington County that live with food insecurity,” according to George Omiros, president and CEO of the Greater Washington County Food Bank/Food Helpers.
One in five of those residents is a child, he said, and nearly 1 in 3 is a senior. Thirty percent of those in need may not qualify for any of the traditional food pantry programs, “leaving them without a safety net. So the Greater Washington County Food Bank exists to close that gap. We are constantly looking for new support, and we appreciate that 2000 Turkeys, since it began, was dedicated to ensure that every family in Washington County that needs food for Thanksgiving would have a Thanksgiving dinner,” Omiros said.
The Greater Washington County Food Bank serves about 3,200 families each month.
“We have 10 food pantries we work with in Washington County and 18 senior high rises that we support, plus we do seven community distribution sites,” Omiros said. Additionally, the food bank supports 1,700 senior citizens with the PA Senior Box Program.
Last year’s campaign raised a record $263,000 to provide a Thanksgiving meal for those in need in Washington County and provided a meal for 21,280 people.
“All of the years that I’ve been involved with 2,000 Turkeys, the people of Washington County have always come forward to help us raise that money,” said Canonsburg Mayor Dave Rhome, chairman of the 2000 Turkeys board.
To make a donation, checks should be addressed to 2000 Turkeys, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, PA, 15301.
Donations can also be made on Wednesday, Nov. 18, when longtime supporter Range Resources holds its annual fundraising drive in downtown Washington. Range has expanded the fundraiser to include downtown Canonsburg.
“It has evolved from a fundraising event to a Washington County tradition that brings together Range employees, local businesses, school students, community members, and we come together to ensure local families have food on the table for the holidays, primarily Thanksgiving,” said Laural Ziemba, senior director-public affairs for Range Resources.
“Last year we had 200 volunteers and 160 of them were students, which is an incredible number,” Ziemba said. “Our community members like to know that every dollar they put in that bucket goes directly to helping families in Washington County. There’s no money taken out for overhead. That makes it a really grassroots kind of engagement,” Ziemba said.
With the matching portion Range pledges each year, she said the company has raised just shy of $500,000 for 2000 Turkeys over the 12 years it has held the fundraising day.
2000 Turkeys began in 1984 as a way to provide a holiday meal to the many who were left unemployed by the downturn in the steel and glass manufacturing industries. The effort was spearheaded by the late Byron Smialek of the Observer-Reporter, the late Wayne Armstrong, Pete Povich of WJPA Radio and Grace Hopwood.
Over the years, donation letters from area residents have been read at WJPA’s studio, echoing the heart of the community. “It’s just a very grassroots, heartfelt effort, and Range is really glad to be part of it,” Ziemba said.
In addition to the countless donations made by area individuals, churches and youth groups, many local companies have given their support to help raise funds in the past. Among those are Washington Financial, Pennsylvania American Water, Defy Security, Noble Environmental, Shepherd Financial, Canonsburg and Washington Shop ‘n’ Save, Kang’s Kick Academy, Liberty Lumber, WJPA Radio, and Sam’s Pizza shop of Canonsburg.
During the Oct. 1 kickoff at WJPA Radio, another longtime supporter, Dave Richards, who heads the “Blue Ride” annual motorcycle ride each July, presented a check for $2,000 for the 2026 campaign. The yearly fundraising ride is co-sponsored by the Blue Knights Motorcycle Club, Chapter 16, and Washington Lodge No. 164 Free and Accepted Masons.
In addition to Rhome, and Ziemba, the 2000 Turkeys board includes Bob Pinarski, group publisher for the Observer-Reporter, and Jacob Knizner, promotions director for WJPA.
The Observer-Reporter and WJPA co-sponsor the event, a tradition since its inception.