NORFOLK, Va. — Thanksgiving is just days away and today, thousands of families are getting a free bird for the holiday.
It's a partnership between shipping company CMA CGM and the Salvation Army Hampton Roads Area Command.
This is the third year, they’ve hosted the giveaway.
CMA CGM's head of sustainability Heather Wood said it's all a part of the company's efforts to give back to families across the country.
"Two-thousand frozen birds direct from US Farms,” Wood said. “By the time we reach Thanksgiving, we will have distributed 10,000 turkeys across the United States in six different cities.”
The giveaway started at 8 a.m. Teams unloaded the frozen turkeys from semi-trailers and gave them away one per car.
"This started in 2020 during the pandemic, so the drive-thru became popular,” Salvation Army area commander Major Donald Dohmann said. "We do this because we know that there are those in our community that perhaps won’t have a turkey on Thanksgiving, or a protein for Thanksgiving, and so really this is an effort of CMA CGM to do 130,000 meals across our nation.”
CMA CGM donated the birds and the Salvation Army helped coordinate the donation drive.
"It’s fantastic,” Wood said. “I think for us, the gratitude on people's faces, the joy from seeing them as they pull up in their cars and being able to wish them Happy Thanksgiving.”
This isn’t the only free turkey giveaway at Military Circle Mall. HeadWaters Resort & Casino held its 14th Annual Turkey Trailer. The Pamunkey Indian Tribe partnered with Berkley community leader Mechele Hairston and Solid Rock Worldwide Outreach Ministry.
Around 2,000 baskets with turkey and other food items have been prepared for families. Event organizers requested families preregister online.
Hampton Roads Hispanic radio station La Selecta is also distributing turkeys at the mall. The radio station will give away over 300 turkeys with trimmings starting at noon.
On Sunday, CMA CGM and The Salvation Army will be back out at Military Circle Mall, handing out package meals for the community. This will be from 1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.