Samaritan Healthcare donates 353 birds

MOSES LAKE - Samaritan Healthcare employees collected 353 turkeys during a three-day drive ending Saturday.

The Moses Lake Food Bank started handing them out Monday.

"We're ecstatic with Samaritan Healthcare," said food bank Assistant Executive Director Peny Archer. "I mean, we wouldn't have had near the turkeys we have without their help."

Samaritan Healthcare employees and their families stood at Safeway collecting donations. Food was loaded onto a refrigerated truck and delivered to the food bank.

The community donated $1,045 in cash and checks and 7,500 pounds of canned goods during the three-day annual drive, said Samaritan Healthcare Community Relations Coordinator Connie Opheikens.

Last year, roughly the same number of turkeys and same amount of monetary donations came in. Approximately 380 more pounds of food were donated this year.

Moses Lake Food Bank Executive Director Linda Finlay said 433 families showed up at the food bank Monday. Finlay said the cash donations would be spent at Safeway for extra food.

The line of families Monday stretched from the parking lot to Marina Drive, Archer said. More than 1,200 families were expected to show up through Wednesday.

Larger families received whole turkeys, while smaller families received sliced turkey and gravy. They received Thanksgiving fixings, plus fresh potatoes, onions and carrots. To top it off, pumpkins and corn for table decorations were handed out.

Seventeen volunteers were helping out at the food bank Monday, Finlay said.