More than 25 Marines and sailors from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar volunteered with the Single Marine Program to help pass out 2,100 Thanksgiving dinners during “Giving Thanks with L.T.” at the Chula Vista Walmart parking lot Nov. 24.
“Giving Thanks with L.T.” is an annual non-profit event sponsored by the LaDainian Tomlinson Foundation that supports community education, social and cultural awareness programs.
“It was a great opportunity to get more involved and give back to the community,” said Sgt. Christopher Morales, an event volunteer. “Most people only see the combat side of the military but this allows them to see a different side.”
The Marines and sailors arrived early in the morning to unload frozen turkeys and stack them into shopping carts for volunteers to cart away to the designated turkey area.
After moving the frozen birds, volunteers smashed boxes used to store the turkeys and then split into smaller groups for several different jobs around the parking lot.
Some service members helped families through the food line while others spent time keeping the line clear of carts and guarding the turkeys.
After volunteers passed out all the food, Marines and sailors began cleaning up the area.
“When you think about it, 2,100 families are like 5,000 people going through the line,” said Sandra Bishop, who coordinated the volunteers for the event. “The Marines made a huge difference in making the lines move faster. The Marines were awesome.”
Several San Diego Chargers players also helped pass out food during the event. LaDainian Tomlinson, a running back for the Chargers, also assisted with the event and took a picture with the Marines and sailors.
Turkey is the staple food on Thanksgiving Day, and many people spent the day enjoying their meals because the Marines and sailors helped pass out 2,100 Thanksgiving dinners.
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