Nov 24, 2014 10 min read

When you sit down for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, Washington County, you can enjoy your turkey and mashed potatoes knowing that you helped other families celebrate the holiday, too.

The 2000 Turkeys campaign has reached – and exceeded – its goal of $100,000 to provide a Thanksgiving dinner for Washington County’s underemployed and unemployed families.

Thank you.

Donations poured in over the last week, from companies and businesses including Shop ‘n Save, which donated more than $5,000, Ball Corp. of Weirton, W.Va., S.E. Schultz Electric Inc., and Washington Square Flower Shop.

It’s the hundreds of small donations from individuals and organizations – like the $55 collected over the year by Ada Rose Ralston, 6, and her brother, August Ralston, 9, along with checks from the Washington County Young Marines, Steel Workers Local 3891 of Allegheny Ludlum/Jessop Steel, and Fawcett United Methodist Church Men – that fuel 2000 Turkeys, and those donations pushed the total amount to $110,304.

Every $15 donation provides a Thanksgiving meal with all of the trimmings for a family of four.

The 2000 Turkeys campaign is the largest single fundraiser on behalf of the Greater Washington County Food Bank and its neighboring pantries.

Nick Gindele, 18, found himself and his family in need of a hand in 2000 Turkeys in 2010, after his father lost his job as a manager.

Gindele said the holiday was stressful for his parents, who were worried they couldn’t afford a Thanksgiving dinner for their five children, until someone told them about the 2000 Turkeys program.

“We felt like we had some backing and it gave us some peace to know we could celebrate Thanksgiving,” said Gindele, who attends Penn Commercial as a business student and now works at the food bank. “It’s a worthwhile program. It’s great. It was comforting to know that people cared about us.”

The food bank has established qualification guidelines for families who receive the Thanksgiving dinners.

The goal is to raise at least $100,000 to feed the more than 21,600 people in Washington County – about 5,400 families – who are in need.

“Anything else on top of this is gravy,” said Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome, a member of the 2000 Turkeys Board. “We’re grateful. Washington County always comes through for its neighbors in need.”

To donate to the 2000 Turkeys campaign, please send checks, payable to “2000 Turkeys,” to 2000 Turkeys, P.O. Box 2000, Washington, PA 15301.

Thanks to the following, who generously donated to the 2000 Turkeys campaign during the week:

In Memory of our beloved brother Bernard E Gareis AKA Buddy Sharpe by Richard & June McKitrick $40

Francis & Louise Horne $50

Elizabeth Schmieler $100

Jerome Skowvron $20

Joseph & Lynn Manning $100

William & Cynthia Kline $50

Linda & Robert Kelley $30

WJPA $1000

Michael Siegel $1000

Joseph & Christina Tomecsko $15

Washington Elks #0776 $1000

Jimmy G’s Restaurant $100

Howard & Shirley Rhome $25

Warren Sickles $15

Eugene & Carol Hudak $30

Liberty Lumber $2000

Bill DiFabios Sports Call $30

Diane Buchner-White $20

Charles Crouse $50

Margaret & Michael Ross $50

In Loving Memory of Nan from the Bell Gang $50

Amelia Pomfret $25

Virginia Johnston $15

In Memory of Whitener, Stewart, Mitchell Families from Bob & Joan Stewart $100

In Memory of Debbie Bash-Ford from Dennis Ford $50

James & Lisa Novak $50

Nancy Bular $25

William Domick $45

Phyllis Matheny $20

West End Neighborhood Watch $25

Fidelity Class from First Baptist Church, Washington, PA $50

Wash.-Greene Counties Chapter of Penn State Alumni Assn. $50

Davids LTD $50

In Memory of James E O’Bosky & George B Kline (Pap-Pap-Pap) from Hannah & Ruth O’Bosky $15

George & Carol Stein $35

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

Samuel & Marcia Graham $100

Jill & Kurt Spear $50

Suzanne & Eric Kline $75

In Memory of Lee & Erma Frazier from Margaret Frazier $20

Dale & Victoria Dimarzio $25

Robert & Barbara Paxton $20

Dan & Barb Wheatcroft $30

The Lawler Family In Memory of Howard & Hazel Brownlee $25

In Memory of Raymond & Mary Kifer from Charles & Peggy White $100

Anita & Gabriel Prince $25

Duncan & Laurie Nickles $50

Joan & Frank Steiminger $25

Rose M Almasy $25

M-Tech Inc. Jim & Diana Hull $100

In Loving Memory of our Parents Nicholas & Josephine Y. Skirchak from daughters Joyce & Janine $250

In Memory of John & Julia Malik from Mary Ann & Alfred Friend $20

Jay & Joan Helsel $40

Irene & Pam Carl $25

In Memory of Byron Smialek from Darlene Smialek $200

Robert C. Evans Jr. D.D.S, $100

Jim & Lynn Smoyer $20

Anne E. Westhoven $25

John & Ann Dean Hart $40

In Memory of Joe Perenic from Kimberly Perenic $20

Joe & Linda Goblesky $50

Fawcett United Methodist Church Men $100

Warren & Sharon Lemley $50

Robert Urso $50

Lee & Patricia Kunkle $20

Sharon & Robert Goulding $15

James & Dana Baughman $30

Richard & Margaret Irey $50

Judith & Phillip Litz $25

Fairhill Manor Christian Church $50

Ronald & Linda Luisi $25

West Alexander United Methodist Women $200

Paul & Darlene Clarke $30

Women of Southwestern PA Inc. $100

Kathy & Dennis Bell $50

Judi & Marissa Latynski $20

In Memory of my Good Friend Patricia McKnight from Charlotte Haught $25

Darlene & Robert Caldwell $100

Robert Mary $25

David & Beverly Reck $50

Dovsheks Service $25

Earl & Andrea Pitcock $20

In Memory of Theresa Herriott from James Herriott $100

Judith & Thomas Humphreys $25

Ronald & Geraldine Diaz $100

Ada Pifferetti $50

Albert Rush $20

Donald & Patricia Schmidt $20

Sharon & Timothy Lemley $30

Donald Battistone $50

Deborah & Charles Sethman $20

Carol & Jon Adler $50

Victoria & David Cushey $50

Strnisha Excavation, Inc. $500

Rupert Tax & Advisory Services LLC $300

Robert Polan $20

Joan & James Warren $20

Ted Allen Family $20

Ronald & Carol Bayer $30

Fawcett United Methodist Church, Elizabeth Hartman Circle $100

L. Anthony Spossey $25

In Memory of Mikel from Robert Rudy $50

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

Joseph & Laverne Mals $35

Theresa Perowski $30

Wray & Betty Iddings $25

Patrick & Deborah Guyton $25

Kenneth & Linda Flood $50

Bill & Mary Frank $20

Marilyn Taylor $20

In Memory of our mother, Marjorie Clymer from Sandra & Wanda $30

Diane Bianchin $25

James McGill $100

James & Gail Balent $20

William Schenck $100

Michelle & David White $25

Jack & Sandra McCabe $25

Dennis & Lu McWreath $20

Employees of Greenbriar Treatment Center $550

Donna Kotar $25

Wash. Co. Detachment Marine Corp. $300

Debra & James Rhone $50

Washington County Young Marines $300

Mt. Calvary EV Lutheran Church $368

Donald & Joyce Bailey $100

Lanny Frattare $18

Nancy Blakeway $50

Steve & Elizabeth Kouklakis $20

Mark & Rebecca Livesay $25

John Somsky $50

Michael & Carol Shook $50

Joe & Lori Trapuzzano $50

Thomas & Sandra McMurray $50

James & Marlene Hancher $50

In Loving Memory of Christopher Atkins from Saundra Edmond $50

Phil & Janis Armstrong $50

Mario & Betty Sacco $25

Muse Italian Club $100

Caroline Ashbrook $25

Anonymous $560

William & Rosemary Tarr $20

In Memory of Floryan J. Sr. & Susan Sendora from Floryan J.,Jr.& Bernadette $25

Thomas & Carol Mucho $100

Michael & Janet Racko $35

Timothy & Robin Matyas $100

In Memory of Byron Smialek from Pete & Gerry Graziotto $50

Irene Hodgson $15

Daniel & Janice Rowsick $50

Joellen Conaway $20

Valarie Costanzo $100

Douglas & Cathy Silbaugh $100

John Verholtz $25

Pioneer Trails Cluster $200

In Memory of Genieve Polly, Jean Schirosky & Elvie Mera from Julie & John Schirosky, Jr. $50

In Memory of my husband Frank E Britko from his wife Linda G,. Britko $20

In Loving Memory of Dorothy Neal from the Beatty Family $30

Martha & David Ward $30

Standiford Enterprises, Inc. $200

In Memory of Beth Burgh from Eric Burgh $25

Helen & Gaylord Haines $25

Gary & Sharon Sladick $25

Judy & Elmer Ealy $25

Michele Gianfrancesco $30

Alanna Carroll $30

Francine Palumbo $30

Lee Mason $30

Robert & Karen Luksis $100

James & Nancy Hazi Sr. $50

M. Tucker $50

In Memory of Vaughn Simonelli from Vaughn Alex Simonelli $20

E. Jean Henderson $20

In Memory of Letitia Mogentale from the Beatty Family $25

Terry & Frederick Hutson $30

George & Judy Veselcich $50

Robert & Betty Hodgens $35

Judith & Robert Safko $25

Dennis Bell $25

John & Mary Ellen West $20

Sandra Brown $20

Roberta & James McElhaney $50

Erwin & Paula Leppert $50

Walter Lekwart $50

Pete & Mildred Hendricks $30

Rebecca & Robert Washabaugh $50

Jannon Zubchevich $30

Leah Morton $20

In Memory of Martha Macha from John & Donna Taylor $50

James & Sheryl Szobota $50

Doug & Angela Minton $100

James & Betty Abbott $25

Lagonda Machine, LLC $600

In Memory of Andrew & Ann Onderko from Joan & Jerry Cortese $50

Mark & Ellen Sams $25

In Memory of our sons Rick & Gregg from Richard & Peggy Gorby $50

In Honor or Margie Dziak from John & Pamela DeCesaris $30

Marilyn McIlvaine $100

Donald & Beverly Zofchak $20

April & Eric Betzner $25

Margaret Baker $50

Vicki & Eugenio Trapuzzano $20

Katherine & Stephen Rodgers $25

Ronald & Barbara Cianelli $50

Sara McCullough $25

Mary Mankey $15

Patricia Winters $25

Stephen & Kathleen Leonardi $20

Calvin & Sandra Henry $25

Sandra Hart Pettit $50

In Memory of Rosalie Smialek Lowery from James & Helen Hunter $100

Mary Ann Wessel $25

In Memory of Kathy Shuster from her family $30

Margaret Ball & Otis Spicer $25

Debra Howard-Snyder $20

Jean E Howard $20

Linda & Joseph LaRocka $25

John & Toni Corsie $30

Charlane & Edward Bickar $20

In Loving Memory of Stella Lyle Walker from Paul & Becky Carson $50

Judy & Bill Baxendell $20

Mackenzie & Tristan Sprowls $20

Kayla & Braden Baxendell $20

Gail Williams $50

Mark & Donna McVehil $25

In Memory of Barbara Moniodes from Peter Moniodes $100

Libby & Bob Hess $25

Michael Pendleton $40

Rosemary & Eric Stackowicz $50

Trinity North Elementary School Students & Staff $275

Burch & Rosemarie Efaw $20

Bernice Borkowski $15

Jeffrey & Cynthia Derrico $30

Ronald & Letitia Butera $15

Joyce & Charles Nagy $20

Timothy & Theresa Dunlap $1000

Terry & Karen Bennett $25

Fraternal Order of Bears $125

Pete & Amy Cimino $25

Diane & Stephen Drazick $30

Edward & Bertha Petrak $30

Frank Zatta $50

Darryl & Holly Beton $50

Bev & Fred Kaste $30

Mail Boxes Plus More $50

David & Aryiro Spencer $25

In Memory of Lois Bercosky from Velma & Wray Iddings $30

Ed & Mary Vensko $30

In Loving Memory of Rusty & Louise Hay & Vicki J. Hay Marker from Malcolm at Rusty’s Towing Service $100

Cheryl & David Verner $25

David & Judy Penn $25

Claysville American Legion Riders $100

Robert & Virginia Somplatsky $30

John & Tara Straka $25

Canonsburg United Presbyterian Church $500

George & Mary Vraninin in honor of their 50th Wedding Anniversary $50

In Tribute to Byron Smialek from Margaret Fischer, Byrons Classmate $50

Pamela Siegel $125

Harry & Irene Imperatore $50

Tony & Janet Conn $25

David & Karen Galentine $100

George Toward & Mary Jane Broglia $30

Mark & Sandra Bonanni $20

In memory of Frank Oliverio, Nancy Russell & Charlotte Gault from Bill & Susan Oliverio $100

Davidson United Methodist Church $250

First Baptist Church, Deacon’s Thanksgiving gift $100

Anonymous $10

Steel Workers Local 3891 of Allegheny Ludlum/Jessop Steel $500

Wash. Green Caravan No. 2 Shriners $50

In Memory of Jack White from Kenneth & Mary White $50

Joe’s Bakery $30

Lena Potts $50

Caribbean Clear of Western PA $50

On behalf of Wash.Co. Behavioral Health & Developmental Services Employees $200

Hawkins Home Post Aid Assoc.VFW Post 927 $500

Donna, Debbie & Doug Farabee $30

Jeff Smith $50

Intermediate Unit 1 Educational Campus at Clark $215

Anonymous $612.27

Jennifer, Ada Rose & August Ralston $56.05

Trevor Kern $101