Basket Overdrive

This year’s Thanksgiving Basket Drive at Jesuit High School will be the most successful ever, as students have raised more than $8,000 and the Dads’ Club is close to collecting its goal of 200 turkeys.  

Friday afternoon (Nov. 21), Director of Community Service Michael Miller ’09 will use the student donations to bulk purchase cooking supplies and traditional Thanksgiving sides such as potatoes, stuffing, gravy, cranberries, and more. Jesuit's 2014-15 Alumnus of the Year Cookie Garcia ’50 is donating the sweet potatoes

Sunday it all comes together. Following 10:00am Mass in St. Anthony’s Chapel, students and families will head to the cafeteria at 11:00am to create the 100 stocked Thanksgiving baskets - boxes stuffed with a turkey and all the sides and supplies.

The baskets will be brought to designated area Boys & Girls Clubs at Noon. There, Jesuit students will directly distribute them to families in need.

The Dads’ Club donates the remaining 100 or so turkeys to local food banks and charities, along will any extra food and supplies.

The Basket Drive launched in late October, and every Thursday since then students have made donations in homeroom. The Dads’ Club, spearheaded by Mike Wamsley, P '13, '15 and Robert Huetz, P '10, '15, has been collecting turkeys this week during morning dropoff and afternoon pickup, and the Jesuit community has responded with record donations.

The dads collected turkeys in frigid morning temperatures on Thursday, and also on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

The final turkey collection is during Friday afternoon pickup (Nov. 21).

View the photo slideshow below of the Dads' Club in action collecting turkeys for the Basket Drive: