Operation Thanksgiving Turkey - Identity

Project Type: Identity

Client: Catchafire for Q

Challenge: Create a logo and character to help promote Operation Thanksgiving Turkey (OTT).

Solution: One of my hobbies is competition BBQ. The team I'm on does Operation Thanksgiving Turkey each Thanksgiving to help feed needy families in our area. The first year we fed 40 families, last year we fed 286. After two years of promoting OTT with nothing other than some text posters it was decided a logo was needed. The word "operation" brought to mind a military operation and with all the volunteers involved it is almost like one. After playing around with some ideas for a mascot I settled on a turkey - the American symbol of Thanksgiving. I ended up creating Sgt. Gobble.

The logo will work well on stickers that can be put on the bags the meals are delivered in, t-shirts and other items. The mascot will show up on posters and brochures.

It was a fun project for a good cause.

Operation Thanksgiving Turkey - Followup

Following up from Operation Thanksgiving Turkey. My friend Ken (who started the operation) received the below letter this week. It is from one of the 286 recipients of the turkey expressing his appreciation. The card he received was from my daughter (yes I am proud of her :-)).

December 3, 2009

Sometimes you don't feel particularly "needy:' But over time, things that uplift your soul tend to slip away.

With the children grown and scattered, holidays are one of those things.

Christmas decorating for the past ten years consists of digging the wreath out of the storage room and hanging it on the front door. All done!

Thanksgiving is even worse. Maybe we go out to a little nearby restaurant and have some turkey. Maybe not.

As my wife's vision deteriorates, she's made the painful decision to hang up her car keys. Cooking also has become a chore for her.

Bless her heart, she has borne up bravely as I try to teach myself to cook. But if I were the one married to me I'd divorce myself.

Lots of sandwiches. Cheerios sound good for supper tonight? Doggie bags from the restaurant will feed us for two days! When I cook, the smoke alarm indicates the meat is done.

Enter Angel Food.

I don't even remember where I heard of Angel Food, but October was our first Signature Box. We liked it so much, we ordered another for November and a Senior Meals to boot.

Saturday. November 21, I arrive to pick up, Naturally I go to the wrong table. The one I stop at is where you sign up for Thanksgiving Dinner ... delivered!

Mama didn't raise no dumb puppies! How much? Free? Sign me up!

Now here is where expectation departs from reality. What I envisioned was a plastic plate with some sliced turkey, a scoop of mashed potatoes, stuffing, maybe some green beans. Maybe even some cranberry sauce. Ready to pop into the microwave. I would have been happy and pleased. I know my wife would have been thrilled she didn't have to eat my cooking.

Late delivery OK - say eight or nine? Yes ma'am, that'll be fine. Wednesday night. A phone call. Were running late. No problem, I never go to bed before 1 a.m.

Todd and his son, Chris, arrived shortly before midnight. The guys have been out delivering all day! Talk about above and beyond the call of duty! But the gifts they were bearing drove out all logical thought. I was stunned! A whole turkey! Smoked yet! And all the fixins - corn, beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce and a whole pumpkin pie! I've never had a smoked turkey in my life! It was delicious!

In addition were two little presents. One was a New Testament. Always welcome. Always needed. Always ready to dispense inspiration and wisdom. Not too surprising, though - it's a Baptist Church after all!

The other present was a simple card. "Hope you have a great Thanksgiving. Remember Jesus loves you!" and signed Alyssa:' Below was a drawing of a little smiling turkey, saying "gobble!"

Tears fell unashamed from my eyes.

I could see clearly Alyssa and her friends sitting at a table making card after card for people they didn't know and would never meet.

This leads to a vision of hundreds of turkeys being prepared by your church family. Boxes and boxes of fixins being cheerfully parceled out. The thought staggers the imagination.

A church event. A family event. Young and old pitching in and working late to prepare a Thanksgiving feast for nameless and faceless people ... out there.

You have cast your cornbread stuffing upon the waters. And it has filled my grateful heart.

Alyssa, you and your friends at First Baptist Church of Fort Mill were my blessing this Thanksgiving.

May you and your church family receive God's blessings in abundance this Christmas season. And may your hearts be filled with the knowledge that your efforts have reached out and the hearts of others.

In deep appreciation,

Dan

Take time this Christmas season to help someone out. Give some change to the Salvation Army bell ringer. Send a card. It is amazing what a turkey, fixins and a card can do for someone and how much it can help out.

If you are on Facebook you can follow Catch a Fire for Q.

Operation Thanksgiving Turkey

A friend from Church started BBQing a couple of years ago and entering competitions. He has a huge smoker that he uses to do this. Last year he got the idea to smoke as many turkeys as he could for needy families in the area. He did 40, which isn't bad for a first year. He was able to get BiLo to help out with the groceries and turkeys so each family would get a Thanksgiving meal.

He had volunteers deliver them to the families. One of the houses had a teenage boy answer the door and when they gave him the groceries he was so grateful. He told the delivery people he didn't know what he was going to eat from Wednesday until next Monday because he was on school assisted meals and they had no food in the house.

This year my friend had a goal of 200 turkeys and meals for families. He asked people to adopt a turkey for $20. That $20 would pay for the turkey and the sides. He is doing 286!! He has 7 cookers helping cook and about 50 volunteers around the clock, helping to prep, cook and deliver. Again our local BiLo helped out with the turkeys and the fixings and our local Starbucks has donated a 1/2 pound of coffee to each family and coffee for the volunteers. One of the local Chick-fil-a's is bringing lunch over for the volunteers.


People often wonder what one person can do to make a difference, this is one thing. He started small and shared his vision with friends who also got on board and helped out. Next year he is planning to do it again but BIGGER!