2009 McCauley Tom Turkey Drive Nets 2,500 Pounds of Gobbler

Sunrise Rotary President Ralph Cesena Jr. meets 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Stephanie Brown-Trafton

Sunrise Rotary President Ralph Cesena Jr. meets 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Stephanie Brown-Trafton

(November 18th, 2009 - Lodi, CA) - The Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club's second annual "McCauley Tom Turkey Drive" netted $1,600 which enabled the club to purchase 144 turkeys. Club President Dustin Taunton, and club member Mark Woods, delivered the 2,500+ pounds of "gobbler" to two local charities. One hundred were delivered to the Salvation Army and the remaining forty-four to the Building Blocks program of Samaritan Ministries. The birds will help both organizations provide a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner for many needy families in our community this year.

“Compared to last year, there are many more families in need this Thanksgiving”, said President Taunton. “Our club members really stepped up this year, tripling the 800 pounds of Turkey we purchased last year!”

Like last year, the turkeys were again purchased from Lodi’s Food 4 Less, which agreed to sell the birds at cost to help in the effort. The club matched $800 in member donations, for a total of $1,600, to make the purchase happen.

Tom McCauley, a Lodi Sunrise Rotary Club charter member, and fellow member Pastor Mark Woods, spearheaded the turkey drive again this year. McCauley, after whom the Turkey Drive is lovingly named, has long been considered “the biggest turkey in the club”, said one member on the condition of anonymity.

“The generous donations of our club and club members makes me proud”, added Taunton. “It is yet another example of our club motto which touts Lodi Sunrise as 'The Best Darned Rotary Club in Lodi’”!