By Rob Potter
LIBERTY — Thanks to the Sullivan County Long Beards, local organizations and businesses, several families throughout Sullivan County should have a more blessed Thanksgiving this year.
On Friday afternoon at M&M Auto Group in Liberty, members of the Long Beards, through the organization’s Turkey Hunters Care Program, helped distribute a total of 161 frozen turkeys to 16 schools, churches, service organizations and fire departments so that needy families and individuals will have a turkey on the table for their traditional dinner on Thursday.
Those organizations included: Sullivan ARC, Calvary Baptist Church, Cochecton (soup kitchen and families in need), Dutch Reform Church, Fallsburg Central School, Grooville Church, Liberty Central School, Liberty Lutheran Church, Livingston Manor (Rotary Club and local churches), Monticello Rotary Club, Pregnancy Support Group, Roscoe Firemen, Sullivan County Conservation Club, Sullivan County Veterans Coalition, Tri-Valley Central School and Willowemoc Baptist Church.
“Today, we have just shy of one ton of frozen turkeys,” Sullivan County Long Beards Treasurer and Event Chairman Hank D’Auria said. “Last year, we had 105 turkeys. When we started this program back in 2003, we had 25 birds.”
Shawn Comfort and Sue Ann Boyd of Cornell Cooperative Extension were also on the scene to provide two pamphlets, “Let’s Talk Turkey” and “Eat Smart New York,” which were distributed with the turkeys.
The “Let’s Talk Turkey” pamphlet offered helpful tips for safely roasting the turkey.
“This is a great program,” Comfort said.
Long Beards Treasurer Fran D’Auria noted that all of the turkeys for the program were purchased at Garry’s Great American in Liberty and Peck’s Market in Livingston Manor.
“The Long Beards are one of the best grassroots organizations in Sullivan County,” M&M Auto Group President Howard Braunstein said. “This program helps more members of our community have a better holiday, which is wonderful. I’m always happy to help the Long Beards with this program.”