December 5, 2006

John Farley, Kiwanis, Key Clubs solicit food for Thanksgiving

NBC11 weatherman holds fourth annual Turkey Day

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

For the fourth year, NBC11 weather man John Farley spent the Saturday before Thanksgiving securing turkeys, bags of food and money to buy more food for a number of agencies that help feed the poor and homeless.

Jeff Gordon, Lt. Governor Dan Connolly, Maggie Schrupp from the Rosefloat Club and Steve Ricossa from Santa Clara load turkeys and food into a truck for delivery to the food banks.

This year’s drive on Saturday, Nov. 18, turned out to be as big a success as last year, even though the number of stores was only about one-third of the number last year. This year, the event collected about 5,000 turkeys and 100,000 pounds of non-perishable foods, along with $7,500 in cash at 35 Nob Hill and Raleys and associated stores throughout the Bay Area.

Last year, Farley and a number of Kiwanians and Key Club volunteers collected 6,100 turkeys, 50,000 pounds of non-perishable food and $10,500 at 105 Albertson stores.

One turkey feeds about 10 people. The grocery stores offered to help in a couple of ways. The store brand turkeys were on sale for $6.88 each. The Kiwanians sold certificates for $10 that allowed donors to buy a bag containing $20 worth of non-perishable foods.

This year, the Campbell Kiwanis Club was busy collecting turkeys at the Nob Hill store on Campbell Avenue. By about 1:30 p.m. the group had collected nearly 100 turkeys and close to 250 bags of food and more than $400 in cash donations. When the day was over, the Campbell Kiwanis club had sent 151 turkeys and 349 bags of food off to the food banks.

The goal of the Santa Clara and San Mateo County Second Harvest Food Banks is to have 10,000 turkeys in house for the entire holiday season, said Farley. Last year, before the Turkey Day Drive, the food banks had about 600 turkeys in house. This year, because of the publicity on Channel 11 and in the Mercury News, in house donations started coming in the week before Turkey Day from a number of grass roots groups including churches, families and various groups.

“We certainly hope to do it again next year,” said Farley. ”I’d be thrilled if we could do it again. The good news is that Kiwanis members and the grocery stores had such a good time they are talking about ‘next year.’”

This year is the fourth year for the Farley family. “It was my wife’s idea,” he told the times. The first year, the two worked alone at one store. The second year, the two worked two stores. Last year the Kiwanis Clubs joined in to help at 105 stores and this year was the 35 Bay Area Raleys and Nob Hill stores.

Those who would like to donate, but missed out on Saturday’s event, can still do so by going online to NBC11’s Web site and clicking on Community Events and John Farley’s Turkey Day. Every $1 that’s donated allows area food banks to pass out $9 worth of groceries, fresh produce, dairy products, bread and meat into the community.