Dodgers News: Mookie Gives Away Turkeys in Pre-Thanksgiving Event
LOS ANGELES — There’s a reason Mookie Betts won this year’s Roberto Clemente award, and this week, he showed it. The four-time World Series champ spent part of his offseason this week doing something that has become just as familiar as watching him rope doubles into the gap: handing out Thanksgiving meals in South Los Angeles. The Dodgers’ superstar was front and center at the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation’s annual turkey giveaway at Algin Sutton Recreation Center, where the crowd of cars and walk-ups got more than groceries. They got Mookie, smiling, chatting, and reminding everyone why he has become such a big part of this city.
“This means everything,” Betts said as he helped load bags into cars. “This is the time of year that joy is always wanted, and any time I can bring smiles to people’s faces, that means there’s joy. Bringing meals and just creating opportunities for people to create memories… whatever the community needs, whether it’s food or clothes or shelter, whatever it is, we do our part in giving back, and this means the world to us.”
The event, a partnership between the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Mookie’s 50/50 Foundation, Brotherhood Crusade, UCLA Health, SoCal Gas, and several other community groups, turned Algin Sutton into a full-on holiday hub. Families received turkeys with all the fixings, gift cards, books, diapers, and other essentials, along with health and education resources. In the middle of it all, Betts kept circling the line, waving to kids, posing for pictures, and talking about why he keeps coming back to this neighborhood year after year.
“You’ve got all these people out here, a lot of faces smiling and excited about this event,” he said. “The platform that I’m blessed with, I want to share it with everyone. So any time you can bring smiles to people’s faces, it’s always a good thing.”
For Nichol Whiteman, CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, having Mookie there is a perfect fit for a site that already means so much to the organization. “We love this annual turkey giveaway here at Algin Sutton Recreation Center,” she said. “It’s a fantastic location because it’s home of our first and our 50th Dodgers Dreamfields and it’s a community that we serve here in South Los Angeles all year long.”
Whiteman stressed that the day is about more than just handing over a bird and a bag of sides. “To be able to partner with Brotherhood Crusade to produce this every single year, give out 750 turkeys today with the fixings, with education resources, with health resources, and even gift cards for families that need them at this time of year is so important,” she said. “We’re out here with UCLA Health, we’re out here with SoCal Gas and so many other Dodgers Foundation supporters, and we’re really happy that we get to show up for community in this moment in time when so many people are struggling and need our support.”
Music pumped from speakers, volunteers danced between cars, and Whiteman pointed out that bringing Mookie into that mix only lifts the mood. “To be in community in this way is so special today,” she said. “We bring joy to Algin Sutton Recreation Center. It’s about fun. There’s a little bit of dancing. We’re bringing Mookie Betts, who’s partnered with us on this event, the 50/50 Foundation for so many years. Everybody’s just trying to put smiles on the faces of those who are in the cars driving by or those who have walked up, just really trying to make sure that everybody has this moment, especially on the heels of our World Series championship.”
The list of partners is long, and each brought their own reason for being there. Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men was on site representing Micah’s Voice, the organization he runs with his wife to support families affected by autism. “We support those families who are affected by autism,” he said. “Here we’re with the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, the Brotherhood Crusade, and we’re here to spread a little love, a little cheer, a little good energy, and really just try to make people’s lives easier in this holiday season.”
For Stockman, the simple act of a shared meal still matters. “It’s been a crazy year thus far, needless to say, and this kind of brings a little bit of sunlight in people’s houses and in their households and their families,” he said. “When you have a full belly and when you have food that you can share amongst your family members and people that you love, it just lifts the spirits of that particular household. That’s what this is about. This is us exchanging spirits and sharing good spirit amongst other people so they can have good energy in their houses as well.”
Dr. Mikel Whittier of UCLA Health said showing up at events like this is a core part of their mission. “We truly believe that our community is thriving when we are an active part and participant in it,” he said. “Being able to partner with the Dodgers Foundation, partner with the Dodgers, Mookie, and the 50/50 Foundation and Brotherhood Crusade and all of the amazing organizations here is an opportunity for us to demonstrate that mission. We firmly believe that we contribute to the well-being of Southern California and we want to ensure that we can do just that.”
Brotherhood Crusade CEO Charisse Bremond-Weaver talked about how meaningful the long-running partnership with Mookie and the Dodgers has become. “So much has been happening in our city, so to be able to join forces with the Dodgers Foundation, with the 50/50 Foundation, Mookie Betts, UCLA Health, all the great partners who come year after year to serve our community, it is amazing,” she said. “Not only because they’re volunteering, but to provide 750 turkeys, all the trimmings, gift cards, you got books, you got diapers, essential items to really support our community during the year.”
She also highlighted the ripple effect one turkey can have. “Thanksgiving is the time that we think of family, we think of loved ones,” Bremond-Weaver said. “Not only can you make that turkey for your family, you could bring another family who might not have the means. We look at our community of care. Brotherhood Crusade always says we want to serve with love and care and joy, and to align our brand with the Dodgers Foundation, it doesn’t get any better than that because we are like-minded organizations that care about the community.”
Corporate partners were out there working the line too. “We have many community members that are struggling,” said Brittney Viramontes from SoCal Gas. “So it’s a part of our SoCal Gas values to champion people and to be here to support our customers, our neighbors, and our communities that are in need during this holiday season.”
Through it all, Betts kept circling back to why he feels compelled to show up in person and not just sign checks. When asked how it feels in his “mind, soul, and spirit” to provide a meal for people who may have nothing at all, he didn’t hesitate. “I feel great,” he said. “It feels amazing, just being able to give back. Like I said, it’s a blessing because not everybody can do it, but if you can, you should.”
Betts is already back in the gym getting ready to chase a three-peat, but this week at Algin Sutton was a reminder that his connection to Los Angeles runs far beyond the box score. “I love being a Dodger. I love the city of L.A., and that’s why I’m out here today,” he said. “Just getting out there and understanding what the need is… especially when you have kids involved, it’s really not that hard. Just being there, giving them the basic necessities and then just being there to support them, that’s really all it is.”
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