Friday, November 25, 2005
Braves give back with Turkey Drop
11/22/2005
ATLANTA -- The Braves have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Topping that list is their fans, especially those in the community surrounding Turner Field.
To show its appreciation, the Atlanta Braves Foundation held its second annual Turkey Drop on Tuesday afternoon.
The event, held in conjunction with the Georgia Avenue Food Co-Op, supplies less-fortunate families with a turkey and all the fixings for a full Thanksgiving dinner.
Tim Hudson and his wife, Kim, participated, bringing the food to the families.
"The Atlanta Braves Foundation asked me if I'd be interested in being a part of it, me and my wife," said Hudson. "We were thrilled to come help out and bring stuff to the needy families around here and, hopefully, help out their Thanksgiving and just make things a little better for them."
The Georgia Avenue Food Co-Op has been making things better for the area around Turner Field for the last decade.
"We started about 10 years ago to help out families within our community," said Jackie Palmer, who helps lead the group. "We feed close to 250 people in this community, all from donations, every two weeks. We've been doing it for 10 years. [It's] community-based, community-run by the people in the co-op, and we have a good minister, Rev. Chad Hale."
The co-op found a good friend and willing partner in the Braves.
"We partnered with the Georgia Avenue Food Co-Op, and they selected the families for us," said Ericka Newsome, the director of community affairs for the Braves. "We told them that we wanted to reach out to these families at the holidays, and they selected them for us. It is definitely a neighborhood project."
A fully loaded caravan left the players' parking lot at Turner Field a little after 2:00 p.m. At each of the five houses, Tim and Kim Hudson carried a pan with the turkey, provided by Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits, and a wicker basket filled with stuffing, cranberries, rolls, green beans, rice, sweet potatoes and a pecan pie, to the residents' door.
Though the skies were gray and a sharp wind put a chill in the air, there was plenty of warmth at each stop.
"Oh my God," said a startled Christine Shivers from her porch when she saw the Hudsons approaching, carrying the Thanksgiving meal up her walkway.
Shivers choked back tears while thanking Tim, who presented her with the turkey, then she thanked and hugged everyone from the Hudsons to film crews that were filming the event.
"Ms. Shivers is raising children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren," said Palmer. "I thought she needed an uplift. So I chose her."
Each of the five families visited by the Hudsons -- as well as five other families, chosen to receive similar goodies from the Georgia Avenue Church -- while dealing daily with less-than-ideal circumstances, found themselves immersed in the holiday spirit at the sight of the Braves' star pitcher. That spirit proved contageous.
"People's reactions are great," said Kim Hudson. "It's amazing how much of an influence Tim has with his name, and his jersey and everything. It's touching. Very much so."
Tim agreed.
"Seeing the families' faces when you see them and how shocked they are and how happy they are to see you, that's the best part."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
ATLANTA -- The Braves have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. Topping that list is their fans, especially those in the community surrounding Turner Field.
To show its appreciation, the Atlanta Braves Foundation held its second annual Turkey Drop on Tuesday afternoon.
The event, held in conjunction with the Georgia Avenue Food Co-Op, supplies less-fortunate families with a turkey and all the fixings for a full Thanksgiving dinner.
Tim Hudson and his wife, Kim, participated, bringing the food to the families.
"The Atlanta Braves Foundation asked me if I'd be interested in being a part of it, me and my wife," said Hudson. "We were thrilled to come help out and bring stuff to the needy families around here and, hopefully, help out their Thanksgiving and just make things a little better for them."
The Georgia Avenue Food Co-Op has been making things better for the area around Turner Field for the last decade.
"We started about 10 years ago to help out families within our community," said Jackie Palmer, who helps lead the group. "We feed close to 250 people in this community, all from donations, every two weeks. We've been doing it for 10 years. [It's] community-based, community-run by the people in the co-op, and we have a good minister, Rev. Chad Hale."
The co-op found a good friend and willing partner in the Braves.
"We partnered with the Georgia Avenue Food Co-Op, and they selected the families for us," said Ericka Newsome, the director of community affairs for the Braves. "We told them that we wanted to reach out to these families at the holidays, and they selected them for us. It is definitely a neighborhood project."
A fully loaded caravan left the players' parking lot at Turner Field a little after 2:00 p.m. At each of the five houses, Tim and Kim Hudson carried a pan with the turkey, provided by Popeye's Chicken & Biscuits, and a wicker basket filled with stuffing, cranberries, rolls, green beans, rice, sweet potatoes and a pecan pie, to the residents' door.
Though the skies were gray and a sharp wind put a chill in the air, there was plenty of warmth at each stop.
"Oh my God," said a startled Christine Shivers from her porch when she saw the Hudsons approaching, carrying the Thanksgiving meal up her walkway.
Shivers choked back tears while thanking Tim, who presented her with the turkey, then she thanked and hugged everyone from the Hudsons to film crews that were filming the event.
"Ms. Shivers is raising children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren," said Palmer. "I thought she needed an uplift. So I chose her."
Each of the five families visited by the Hudsons -- as well as five other families, chosen to receive similar goodies from the Georgia Avenue Church -- while dealing daily with less-than-ideal circumstances, found themselves immersed in the holiday spirit at the sight of the Braves' star pitcher. That spirit proved contageous.
"People's reactions are great," said Kim Hudson. "It's amazing how much of an influence Tim has with his name, and his jersey and everything. It's touching. Very much so."
Tim agreed.
"Seeing the families' faces when you see them and how shocked they are and how happy they are to see you, that's the best part."
Source: http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/
