Trail Blazers Ninth Annual Harvest Dinner

November 15, 2004

Check out photo galleries from the Harvest Dinner
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Thousands of Portland's most in need citizens are expected to receive a helping hand from the Portland Trail Blazers, Monday November 15, during the ninth annual Blazers Community Builders Harvest Dinner. The team will begin serving meals at 2:00 p.m. and go well into the evening, providing a holiday style meal and free haircuts by Supercuts. The Trail Blazers Community Builders Harvest Dinner is traditionally Portland's largest free dinner of its kind executed entirely by the volunteer efforts of the team and Rose Quarter staff, players, coaches, alumni, broadcasters, dance team, Wheel Blazers, and Trail Blazers Booster Club.

"Today was all about helping people who need it. It was great to be able to serve them a nice meal and talk to them. After I served, I just stopped and talked to people and they told me about themselves," said Zach Randolph.

As Portland continues to face an increase in individuals and families experiencing homelessness, high unemployment and one of the countries highest percentages of two parent families living in poverty, the Harvest Dinner effort brings the Blazers together with various local nonprofits to serve a free Thanksgiving style dinner, including turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and desserts.

The Trail Blazers work with over 50 community agencies who refer guests based on need, including Volunteers of America, Central City Concern, Portland Impact, Portland Rescue Mission, Loaves & Fishes and Albina Head Start. With on-going support from the Trail Blazers, these agencies are also the recipient of in-kind donations from the team throughout the year to include tickets to games and other Rose Garden events, donations of clothing and team memorabilia and Christmas trees during the Trail Blazers annual Holiday Express in December.

In addition to more than 4,000 meals the Trail Blazers will hand out at the Rose Garden, the staff and team members will take Harvest Dinner on the road via the North/Northeast Meals-On-Wheels program, delivering meals to homebound seniors.

"This is an event that P.J. Carlisemo started nine years ago and has had such an impact on our organization that several of our players who have moved on have started similar events with their new teams," said Traci Rose, Trail Blazers director of community relations. "The first couple of years we served an average of 2,000 and since then have seen a greater need each year serving 5,000 people strong each of the past two years."

The dinner consisted of :

  • 1,100 pounds of turkey
  • 1,100 pounds of ham
  • 1,000 pounds of fresh fruit salad
  • 48 heads of lettuce
  • 1,000 pounds of stuffing
  • 1,000 pounds of vegetables
  • 50 gallons of gravy
  • 75 gallons of cranberry sauce
  • 10 lbs of salt
  • 10 lbs of black ground pepper
  • 9,000 butter pats
  • 400 dozen dinner rolls
  • 480 pumpkin pies
  • 250 gallons of coffee
  • 2,000 pints of milk
  • 10,000 napkins
  • 5,000 plates
  • 3,000 bottles of water
  • 240 gallons of Coca-Cola products.

    Harvest Dinner would not be possible without the generous donations from many Trail Blazers partners, including: Fred Meyer, Food Services of America, Dasani Bottled Water, Foster Farms, West Farm Foods (Darigold), Western Food Service Marketing, Farmland, Morton and Associates, Sugar Foods, Uncle Ben's, Summit Brokerage, Campbell Soup, PACTIV, Columbia Pacific Marketing, International Paper, Boyd's Coffee, Coca-Cola Fountain, Ocean Spray, Sara Lee Corporation, Franz Bakery, Sun Coast Fruit Company, Kenco Food Service, Integrity Landscape, Office Depot, Collegiate USA, Supercuts, and the Trail Blazers Booster Club.

    The Blazers team, coaches, broadcasters, alumni, Wheel Blazers, BlazerDancers, staff, sponsors, the Blazers Booster Club, vendors and families contribute both time and money to the event.

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