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2024 KCRA Turkey Drive: New record set for donations

We're holding a drop-off event at Cal Expo's main gate loop on Friday, Nov. 15 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

2024 KCRA Turkey Drive: New record set for donations

We're holding a drop-off event at Cal Expo's main gate loop on Friday, Nov. 15 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

WELL, I GOT TO TELL YOU, EDDIE, IT’S BEEN WORTH EVERY MINUTE OF HAVING THIS OUT HERE TODAY. WE STARTED AT SEVEN THIS MORNING, AND IT’S ALMOST 7 P.M. WE’VE HAD PEOPLE COME BY AND DROP OFF ONE TURKEY. WE JUST HAD A BASEBALL TEAM COME BY AND THEY DROPPED OFF NEARLY 150 TURKEYS. AND WE HAD A MISSION. WE WANTED TO GET ABOVE A CERTAIN LEVEL TODAY. MICHELLE, HOW DID WE DO? WELL, HEY GUYS, IT’S A NEW RECORD HERE FOR THE KCRA 3 TURKEY DRIVE. LET’S CHECK OUT THAT NUMBER. DRUM ROLL PLEASE. 18,002 SACRAMENTO. NEVER DISAPPOINTS. I TELL YOU WHAT. WE WANTED TO GET TO 18,000. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? WE DID? THANKS TO YOUR HELP. FANTASTIC HELP FROM ALL OF OUR KCRA 3 VIEWERS AND BLAKE YOUNG HERE WITH THE SACRAMENTO FOOD BANK. BLAKE, WHEN YOU SEE THAT NUMBER, HOW DO YOU FEEL? WELL, MY HEART IS WARM. I MEAN, THE SACRAMENTO COMMUNITY. SO WE’RE JUST SO GRATEFUL. THEY’RE SO GENEROUS AND WE WANT TO THANK KCRA AND OUR PARTNER FROM DAY ONE. I CAN REMEMBER WHEN WE FIRST CONCEIVED THIS, WE DID THE TURKEY DRIVE 500 AND WE RAISED 2750 BIRDS. NOW WE’RE AT OVER 18,000. I CAN’T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT YOU GUYS AND ABOUT THE COMMUNITY. WE’RE JUST SO GRATEFUL. YEAH, AND IT’S JUST AGAIN, IT SHOWS THAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO FIND AN OUTLET TO GIVE AND TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY. WELL, AND I THINK ALL OF US MAKE IT VERY CONVENIENT FOR THEM. WE PROVIDE A GOOD SPACE AND AGAIN, SACRAMENTO BETWEEN THE RUN TO FEED THE HUNGRY AND THE TURKEY DRIVE, THEY STEP UP EVERY YEAR. SO THANK YOU. SACRAMENTO WHEN YOU WHEN THIS IDEA WAS FIRST THOUGHT OF, DID YOU EVER THINK THAT YOU’D BE COLLECTING 18,000 TURKEYS? NO, I THINK THIS IS THE LARGEST TURKEY DRIVE IN THE GLOBE. SO ON THE GLOBE, IN THE PLANET. SO YEAH, EXACTLY. AND LOOK, THE TURKEYS ARE STILL COMING IN AND THE TURKEYS ARE STILL COMING IN. LOOK AT THIS. WELL, AGAIN, YOU KNOW WHAT? IT’S JUST GREAT TO PARTNER UP WITH SACRAMENTO FOOD BANK AND FAMILY SERVICES. YOU GUYS DO A REALLY AMAZING JOB WITH HELPING OUR NEIGHBORS OUT HERE. PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH, WE LIVE WITH, AND WE JUST KNOW AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT KNOWING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING. WELL, AGAIN, IF IT WASN’T FOR THE SACRAMENTO COMMUNITY AND GREAT PARTNERS LIKE YOU GUYS, WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO THAT. BUT I MEAN, THERE IS A LOT OF FOLKS IN THIS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT ARE HURTING AND WITHOUT THIS TURKEY DRIVE, WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE DO. SO THANK YOU TO SACRAMENTO. YOU’VE BEEN SO GENEROUS TO US. SO JUST KNOW HOW THANKFUL WE ARE. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THERE IT IS, 18,002. ALL RIGHT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE’RE GOING TO KIND OF RELISH IN THIS VICTORY, BUT IT’S ALREADY I’M STARTING TO THINK ABOUT NEXT YEAR MICHELLE. WE GOT TO OUTDO OURSELVES NEXT YEAR. LET’S GO FOR 20,000 RIGHT. HOW ABOUT THAT 20,000. MAYBE THAT’S OUR GOAL FOR NEXT YEAR. ANYWAY, WE’RE WRAPPING UP
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2024 KCRA Turkey Drive: New record set for donations

We're holding a drop-off event at Cal Expo's main gate loop on Friday, Nov. 15 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services has partnered again with KCRA 3 to hold this year’s Turkey Food Drive for families in need. Other event partners for the 17th annual event are Atlas Disposal, Save Mart, Wells Fargo and PG&E.A drop-off event was held at Cal Expo's main gate loop on Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A record number of 18,002 turkeys were donated. (Video above: Friends of Folsom donates 4,000 turkeys.)Kevin Buffalino with the food bank said hunger in Sacramento County is "at an all-time high." "We're feeding approximately 305,000 people every single month, which is double the number we were feeding prior to the pandemic," he said. He said inflation and the cost of food is still impacting people.Last year’s event led to 17,963 turkeys being collected, breaking our all-time record. Want to help from home? Consider making an online donation to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Click here to make a donation. Every $15 that is donated can provide a family with a Thanksgiving turkey. Another way to support the food bank is by signing up for Run to Feed the Hungry.Turkey donations by the numbersThe number of turkeys donated each year has soared since the event first kicked off with 2,766 donations.Here are turkey totals from previous years:2008 – 2,7662009 – 6,5922010 – 7,0532011 – 8,0232012 – 6,3092013 – 7,4582014 – 9,3342015 – 11,0832016 – 14,8372017 – 15,4492018 – 16,4892019 – 17,6342020 – 16,7032021 – 15,8132022 – 16,3772023 — 17,202More Coverage from the 2024 event Below

The Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services has partnered again with KCRA 3 to hold this year’s Turkey Food Drive for families in need. Other event partners for the 17th annual event are Atlas Disposal, Save Mart, Wells Fargo and PG&E.

A drop-off event was held at Cal Expo's main gate loop on Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. A record number of 18,002 turkeys were donated.

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(Video above: Friends of Folsom donates 4,000 turkeys.)

Kevin Buffalino with the food bank said hunger in Sacramento County is "at an all-time high."

"We're feeding approximately 305,000 people every single month, which is double the number we were feeding prior to the pandemic," he said.

He said inflation and the cost of food is still impacting people.

Last year’s event led to 17,963 turkeys being collected, breaking our all-time record.

Want to help from home? Consider making an online donation to Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services. Click here to make a donation. Every $15 that is donated can provide a family with a Thanksgiving turkey.

Another way to support the food bank is by signing up for Run to Feed the Hungry.

Turkey donations by the numbers

The number of turkeys donated each year has soared since the event first kicked off with 2,766 donations.

Here are turkey totals from previous years:

  • 2008 – 2,766
  • 2009 – 6,592
  • 2010 – 7,053
  • 2011 – 8,023
  • 2012 – 6,309
  • 2013 – 7,458
  • 2014 – 9,334
  • 2015 – 11,083
  • 2016 – 14,837
  • 2017 – 15,449
  • 2018 – 16,489
  • 2019 – 17,634
  • 2020 – 16,703
  • 2021 – 15,813
  • 2022 – 16,377
  • 2023 — 17,202

More Coverage from the 2024 event Below