Nov 15, 2013 7 min read

Andrew McCutchen isn’t the only MVP in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

With 12 days to go until Thanksgiving, local residents, businesses and organizations have been hitting it out of the park with their donations to the 2000 Turkeys fund, which provides Thanksgiving dinners to Washington County families in need.

For the third year in a row, employees of Greenbriar Treatment Center in Washington collected pennies throughout the year and donated $635 to 2000 Turkeys (thankfully, they sent a check instead of 63,500 pennies).

And, 15-year-old Mackenzie Wagner of Eighty Four continued her tradition of donating a portion of the sale of her livestock at the Washington County Fair to the turkey campaign and contributed $190.

The Canon-McMillan High School sophomore declined to be interviewed because, she said, she doesn’t donate in order to get attention, but thanked the buyers who support her every year (this year the buyers were Three Rivers Volkswagen and Mark West).

Her mother, Lori Wagner, said she and Mackenzie’s father, Jim, are proud of their daughter every day, and are very proud of her decision to help a local charity for the past four years.

“We’re very proud of the good decisions she makes,” said Lori Wagner, who noted Mackenzie first donated part of her livestock earnings five years ago, when she made a contribution ot the American Cancer Society in memory of her grandmother. The following year, she decided to donate to a local charity.

Greenbriar’s and Mackenzie’s donations, along with numerous individual and corporate contributions, bring the campaign total to $84,387 so far, and 2000 Turkeys is fast approaching its goal of raising $100,000.

“It’s about lending a hand to families who need it, who are down on their luck,” said David Rhome, mayor of Canonsburg and a member of the 2000 Turkeys board. “We want all of our neighbors in Washington County to be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal.”

Every $15 donation provides a Thanksgiving dinner with a turkey and all of the trimmings for family of four. 2000 Turkeys is the largest single fundraiser on behalf of the Greater Washington County Food Bank and its neighboring pantries. The food bank has established qualification guidelines for families who receive the Thanksgiving dinners. This year, the food bank has more than 5,000 families (more than 20,000 people) in need of help.

To donate, please make checks payable to 2000 Turkeys and mail to 2000 Turkeys, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, Pa., 15301.

Thank you to the following who donated to the 2000 Turkeys campaign:

In Memory of Merle & Florence Ford from Darlene Hadix $15

In Memory of Bernard W Smith Sr. from Carol & Bernie Jr. $25

In Memory of my husband, Byron Smialek, from Darlene Smialek $1,000

In Memory of Byron Smialek from Observer-Reporter “30 Year Club” $100

In Memory of our Wife, Mom & Gram, Jackie Jarosz, from Joe, Deb, John & Alyson $30

In Memory of a friend, Don Trautman, from Frances Hudak $25

Richard & Mary Rozzi $25

Richard & Erin Vitale $25

Frank & Karen Gasper $25

Paul & Janice Kersnick $50

Patrick & Deborah Guyton $25

Nancy & Larry Regrut $20

James & Jean Swart $50

Robert & Patricia Crall $20

Cynthia Greco $50

Lois Gardner $25

April & Eric Betzner $25

Patti & Mike Miller $25

Dennis & Linda Sarchet $25

Burke Racing Stable LLC $1,000

The Wong Family $20

Dennis & Lu McWreath $20

Jamie & John Michalka $30

Muse Italian Club $100

Paul & Darlene Clarke $30

Red Knights Motorcycle Club $500

Lou & Darlene Lignelli $25

In Memory of Shirley Reynard from Doug & Patty Fraley $25

Helen & Louise Skiviat $25

Kenneth & Susan Boone $40

In Memory of Earl Miller from Mary Miller $25

Washington-Greene Counties Chapter Penn State Alumni Association $50

In Memory of John Dzura by Diesel’s Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. $100

Jessop Recreation Fund $500

Dovsheks Service $25

Hawkins Home Post Aid Association $1,000

Barry & Barbara Charriere $40

Ann Christine & Lawrence Garner $50

Ronald & Patience Grummick $50

Janet & Anthony Conn $25

Cheryl & David Verner $50

Joann Kulesa $25

John & Virginia Ullom $25

Bernard & Irene Price $50

Rick & Melinda Baker $50

Eric Held $30

Marsha & Donald Fazekas $20

Mark Hall Family $30

Bill & Rose Ann Massengill $25

In Memory of Carol Crouch from Cindy & Gene Beattie $25

William & Susan Peffer $25

Yaszmin, Douglas, Brady & Ellionna $25

Don Youngdahl $50

Joe at the Gas Station $100

Si Bishop $15

In Memory of Byron Smialek from anonymous $30

Alvin & Anne Altieri $20

United Mine Workers of American $100

Dorothy Dillemuth $50

Blaise & Pat Hollot $40

David & Mary Beth Baker $25

Pioneer Trails Cluster $200

Marie & William Gill $100

Nancy & Edmond Cononge $50

Daniel & Carol Anderson $20

Kenneth & Marcia Malgay $25

Carol & Jon Adler $25

Joanne Duntz $10

Leonard & Eileen Laabs $50

Ralph, Dyane, Tyler & Myresa Troiano $40

In Memory of our parents, Charles & Betty Baumgardner and Charles & Aldene Nicholls Robert, from Lonnie & Doris Nicholls $100

Robert & Barbara Paxton $20

Carol Coffield $20

First United Methodist Church Washington $350

Dick & Eva Shearer $100

Joan & Thomas Rogers $30

Robert Thornton $25

John & Lillian Burns $50

Otis Spicer $20

Margaret Ball $20

Rebecca & Robert Washabaugh $50

M. Tucker $50

The Jones Family $50

John & Mary Ellen West $20

Doug & Ann Hewitt $25

Fred & Ann Puchany $20

In memory of Howard & Hazel Brownlee from Carolyn & James Lawler $25

Carl Mendarino Jr. $50

Mike & Doris Sorice $25

Patricia Dhayer $20

Elmer & Judy Ealy $25

Timothy & Sharon Lemley $30

Lillian Feldman $25

In Memory of Byron Smialek from Thomas & Rena Stanko $100

In Memory of Jeremy LaBella from Charles & Pamela LaBella $100

Ola & William Jackson $20

Marjorie Fischer $30

Mary Cessar $25

Anna & Ron Sweder $50

The Beer Stop $50

In Memory of Helen DeJohn from John & Krista DeJohn $30

David Samila $25

Larry & Ann Kelley $25

JoAnn Fullerton $25

In Memory of Theresa Herriott from Jim Herriott $100

Marie & Raymond Uniejewski $50

In Memory of Beth Burgh from Eric Burgh $20

In Memory of Don Trautman by wife Lil $50

Arthur & Anna Batson $20

In memory of my son Christopher Atkins from Saundra Edmond $50

In Memory of Linda Babejl from George Babejl $50

Richard & Sonia Blaha $60

Virginia & Paul Lukas $20

Pamela Siegel $150

Patricia McKean $25

Lucy Corson $25

Reca Panian $25

Sandra Simms $40

Donna & Norman Dinardo $25

Fred & Joanne Caruso $50

Alfred & Joyce Arnal $30

In Memory of Wayne Armstrong from Carl & Linda Armstrong $25

In Memory of Michael, Dale & Andrea Cowden from Greg & Lori Cowden $25

Rebecca McAdoo $25

Elden Morris $25

Bob & Libby Hess $25

In Memory of Mary Bazzoli from Dan & Barb Wheatcroft $25

In Memory of my husband, Art Bristor, from Sherry Bristor $25

William & Sheila Black $140

James & Roberta McElhaney $50

Lagonda Machine, LLC $720

Chuck & Joanne Morris $30

David & Beverly Reck $50

In Memory of Gene Iddings & Charlie Appel by Geneva Iddings $30

Donald Battistone $50

Betty & David Collett $20

Suzanne McCord $20

Peter Moniodes $100

In Memory of Charles & Jeremy LaBella from Nancy LaBella $25

Phyllis Matheny $20

Betty McAdoo $25

In Memory of Nancy Brown by Viann Ward $20

Timothy & Theresa Dunlap $1,000

Edward & Charlane Bickar $20

Samuel & Marcia Graham $100

Joyce & H. Carl Brandtonies $50

Rick Lusk $20

In Loving Memory of my parents, John & Julia Malik, from daughter Joan & son-in-law Jim $20

In memory of Earl Finley from Gilbert & June Finley $20

Linda Hinerman $25

In Loving Memory of Dr. James K. Clements by Jack & Dorothy Lynn $25

In Memory of our parents, Harry & Kay Shumaker and Ann and Andy Armenini, from Luz & Kathy $40

Margie & Art Sullivan $100

Mary & David Standiford $100

Thomas & Monica Rendine $25

Allan Junker $100

In Loving Memory of Stella Maxine Lyle Walker from Paul & Becky Carson $100

Tom & Mary Jane Sertik $25

Employees of Greenbriar Treatment Center $635

Edward & Jeanne Pieczarka $50

Kayla, Braden, Mackenzie & Tristan $20

Judy & Bill Baxendell $20

Diane & Stephen Drazick $25

Jack & Sandra McCabe $25

Douglas & Cathy Silbaugh $100

John L and Jackie Deco $30

Acme Art Glass Studio $25

Anonymous $1,141