Hams, turkeys still needed for Christmas
This Friday is the deadline for donations to secure hams and turkeys for 1,800 struggling families this Christmas in Manteca, Ripon, and Lathrop through Turkeys R Us.
Organizers only have enough on hand to meet the need for about 300 families.
Actual turkeys or hams can be dropped off at the food bank on Industrial Park Drive specifically for the Turkeys R Us drive. The drop-off can be done Monday through Friday before 4:30 p.m.
Monetary donations can be dropped off at Coldwell Banker Crossroads at North and North Main Street in Manteca or the food bank. You can also call the Second Harvest Food Bank at 239-2091.
The Wheels of Woodbridge Del Webb car club donated $10,500 from their yearlong fund raisers to the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Head LugNut and club President Bill Barnhart made the presentation to Second Harvest CEO Mike Mallory on Monday outside the Woodbridge community center. Club members hope to help those who are homeless and without jobs this Christmas season.
The funds represented the net the club realized from four events held during the year including golf cart races in May – a slalom with drivers blindfolded. Their cart passengers served as their eyes in the contest.
In June the club had a Fiesta dinner provided by Sergio Fonseca of Taqueria La Estrella with a donation of $1,672 in food products for the event.
Their car show generated a net of $7,500 – more than the prior two years combined. It was followed by a poker run that stayed within the community limits of the Del Webb neighborhood. Drivers had certain addresses where they were required to make pit stops and answer questions.
Barnhart said the club has held car shows in Del Webb for the past five years drawing a grand total of donations of $16,700 over the last three. The “Head LugNut” said his car club is made up of some 25 members.
“It’s a lot of work to put these things together and we don’t keep any of the money,” he said. “It all goes to Second Harvest Food Bank,” adding that eight Del Webb residents moved into the retirement community after they were introduced to it through the car show.
Member Jack Keef was responsible for locating 121 door prizes for this year’s event. More people declined his request for donations, he quipped. “I didn’t have that many no’s since trying to get a date in 1965 at Downey High School in Southern California,” he chuckled.
During the presentation three members brought their restored vehicles to be included in the picture of the check presentation. Those included a 1970 Corvette owned by Barnhart – one of two – also claiming a 15th anniversary model in his garage. He said he has a special lift that allows him to park one car under the other since they are both only four feet off the ground.
Also on hand was a 1929 Roadster, restored by a couple that had moved from Livermore.
Barnhart noted that the car shows are open to restored vehicle owners from outside the Del Webb community.
