Beginning at 7:00 a.m., volunteers from around the community headed outside to brave the cold and collect turkeys, non-perishable food items and monetary donations to benefit Community Food Rescue, Loaves & Fishes and Second Harvest Food Bank.

“We’re out here taking it to the streets, “said Jeff Johnson of WJZY UPN-46, who joined forces with several young basketball players from MARA Basketball League to collect donations. “This is a great cause. Everybody’s out here doing something positive. This was an idea that started simply and the ball just rolled from there.”

One of the driving forces in making the Street Turkeys success each year is Mark Packer from WFNZ Radio.

“We started this event three years ago,” he said as prepared to broadcast his daily show live from the plaza at Charlotte Bobcats Arena. “The Bobcats got involved from the ground up, before they even had players.

“It’s really the perfect catalyst to start off the holiday season. Thanksgiving is a special time and there’s no better way to make your turkey taste better than to help people in need experience the same meal you take for granted.”

“This is a wonderful event for our organization to be involved with,” added LaRita Barber, vice president of community relations for the Charlotte Bobcats. “It allows our organization to be involved in a grassroots effort. We are able to take the support of volunteers and make an immediate impact in a critical need area in the community. All we are asking people to do is donate a turkey, spare change or food they have in their pantry. It’s such a simple request, but it helps prevent people in this community from going to bed hungry.”

It is these donations, big and small, that make the event a success.

In an hour span during the afternoon, hundreds of people stopped by dropping off turkeys, cans of food and contributing their change. Boy Scout Troop 33 came by and contributed 100 turkeys, Dick’s Sporting Goods brought by a trailer full of 200 turkeys and several people stopped by to donate $1,000 donations. One of those donations came from Omega Psi Phi fraternity.

“We are a very fortunate fraternity,” Marvin Jeffcoat as he made his donation. “It’s only right that we give back. This is the second year we have done this and we hope to make it an annual event.”

“Seeing the generosity of the fans and the listeners really makes it fun,” Packer commented.

All told the 2005 Street Turkeys event collected over $13,300 dollars and 2,000 turkeys to benefit those in need.