The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, Brotherhood Crusade and Mookie Betts’ 5050 Foundation partnered to host their annual Thanksgiving Grab and Go! Basket distribution event at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center on Thursday.
We Benefit Children (WBC), which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting families and children across the grater Los Angeles area, also joined the distribution.
More than 700 families were provided turkeys, traditional Thanksgiving side dishes, gift cards, and basic essentials to ensure they can enjoy a holiday meal next week. The drive-thru was open to the public with resources distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Betts, his wife Brianna, Shawn Stockton of Boyz II Men, and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol Whiteman were among those who greeted local citizens and distributed the meals.
“We love this annual turkey giveaway here at Algin Sutton Recreation Center. It’s a fantastic location, because it’s home to our first and 50th Dodgers Dreamfield,” Whiteman said. “And it’s a community we serve in south Los Angeles all year long.
“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, health resources and even gift cards, is so important.”
The drive-thru event added onto a long-standing partnership between LADF, 5050 Foundation and Brotherhood Crusade. Since 2020, LADF and the 50-50 Foundation have contributed more than $717,000 to support Brotherhood Crusade’s work and advance their community-focused initiatives.
Mookie Betts inspired to give back
Betts became the fourth Dodgers player to ever win the Roberto Clemente Award, and he was the organization’s first recipient since Justin Turner in 2022.
He’s engrained himself in the community and was proud to help provide relief ahead of Thanksgiving and upcoming holidays.
“It means everything. This is the time of year that joy is always wanted,” Betts said of his participation. “Anytime I can bring smiles to peoples’ faces it means there’s joy. Whatever the community needs — whether it’s food, clothes or shelter — we do our part in giving back. This means the world to us.”
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