Our Roots
The origins of Operation Turkey Drive go back to 2008 when three young realtors with Keller Williams Energy acted on an idea to bring Christmas cheer to families they knew could use it the most that year. Through donations of their own funds as well as donations and support from other vendors in the community, the trio put together 54 boxes, each with a turkey and trimmings for a full family dinner for 4. The legend has it that the three spent a December evening driving together listening to Holiday tunes, delivering the boxes, wrapped in Holiday gift paper, to much surprise and cheer from the recipients.
The Movement
Giving feels good and good feelings are contagious. The next year a few more colleagues contributed their time and resources resulting in an increased number of families receiving help. Two years later, the company distributed 200 dinners. As the brokerage grew so did the reach of the agents’ fundraising efforts with volunteers, as well as other businesses, happy to support the cause. With more hands and resources, each year the goal of the number of families that could be helped has increased as well. Ten years after the first Turkey Drive the initiative supported over 2000 families in Durham Region!
The Action
Today’s turkey dinner assembly day is a well organized and a highly efficient process. What started out as a full, long day of preparing and packing of 100-200 dinners by a handful of volunteers on the premises of the Keller Williams Energy office, has over the years become an efficient assembly line full of Christmas cheer at the gymnasium of a local community centre. With many helping hands from families, friends, and strangers, the result is over 2000 dinners packed within only a couple of hours!
The Gratitude
We are immensely grateful for the dedication of many businesses, individuals, and city officials who have contributed their funds and time towards this initiative. None of this could have happened without the generosity of so many caring individuals and companies.
The Present
While Operation Turkey Drive is a separate entity it leverages the success, resources, knowledge, and values of the Keller Williams Energy initiative that started and has grown the Turkey Drive movement all those years ago.
