On cold day, residents flock to turkey giveaway

Perhaps there was little reward in being the first in line. Doretha Newsome knew that when she left her home in Suffolk at 8 a.m. Saturday and waited in her car.

Newsome hoped she could quickly grab a turkey being given away and avoid being gobbled up by the nose-numbing cold.

"OK, let me go," Newsome said after she noticed others walking toward 615 E. Pinner St.

Shortly after 9 a.m., Newsome clutched a brown bag of collard greens, sweet potatoes and other fixings under her arm like a football and reached for the frozen bird with her free hand.

"Do you need help to your car?" asked Tawanna Milteer, one of several volunteers.

"No, I think I got it," Newsome replied. "Thank you."

L.W. Williams, owner of LW's Lawn Service and organizer of the annual giveaway, said he was lying in bed about six years ago when he decided that he wanted to do something to give back to his community.

What started with 175 frozen birds eventually grew to as many as 700. Budget constraints forced Williams to cancel the giveaway last year, but after so many people called asking what had happened, Williams knew couldn't give up the effort cold turkey.

"We picked the coldest day of the year," said Williams, who donned three pairs of thermal underwear.

The 640 turkeys flew fast.

"This is real good for the city in this economy," said Leroy Bennett, the City Council's Nansemond representative, after shaking Williams' hand. "We're going to have to bite the bullet. We're going to need more people to do things like this."

For residents such as Newsome, who lives on a fixed income, or other families in need, the generosity did not go unnoticed.

"This means a lot to me," Newsome said. "I appreciate this."

Here and throughout Hampton Roads on Saturday, thousands of turkeys were given away or delivered to food banks just in time for Thanksgiving.

After a basketball game at Booker T. Washington High School in Norfolk, Vice Mayor Anthony L. Burfoot and sponsor Farm Fresh Supermarkets gave 500 turkeys to low-income residents.

"This is Anthony Burfoot, not the vice mayor," he said. "This is not a political thing. For me, much is given, much is required."

Duane Bourne, (757) 222-5150, duane.bourne@pilotonline.com