500 Families Receive Thanksgiving Feast!

The line formed even before the sun rose as 500 families were given large Young Tom turkeys with all the trimmings at the Hollenbeck Youth Center’s 30th Annual Turkey Giveaway for the East Los Angeles community held on Tuesday.

The famed boxing gym in Boyle Heights is known for its Olympic champions and local contenders. But yesterday, just under the boxing ring and heavybags, were rows and rows of bags stuffed with everything needed for a Thanksgiving feast. The holiday bird and treats were handed out by Daniel Hernandez, Beatrice Hernandez, Priscilla Hernandez-Munoz, City Attorney Carmen Trutanich, Big 5’s Rick Gridley, LAPD Sergeants from the Los Angeles Police Department, Hot 92.3 radio station, and many other volunteers pitching in to ensure these families in need are able to have a hearty “Turkey Day.”

“When I got here at 6 a.m. they were already lined up,” Nati Correa, one of the Hollebeck directors, says as we survey the long line. “especially since turkeys are so expensive these days! This is awesome; helping the community and these families is our priority.”

As I watched the recipients make their way into the gym, I saw their eyes light up as the Team Hollenbeck and the Inner-City Games LA (ICGLA) crew presented each family a canvas bag housing a fresh turkey along with three additional bags carrying bread, tortillas, stuffing mix, fruit, desserts, and more. With the bulging bags of groceries came a handshake, a hug and a heartfelt greeting for the holidays.

And just who was the “undisputed champ” in providing a chance for these financially-strapped residents to have a warm dinner?

None other than former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, a longtime supporter of Hollenbeck and ICGLA.

Danny Hernandez told me: “We’ve had incredible support. Arnold donated all the turkeys again this year; Von’s also helped with the groceries and Priscilla, Bea and Nati co-chaired this event.” The President and CEO of the organization also thanked the many sponsors and volunteers who work tirelessly to put on these holiday events.

Joining the front lines to help hand out the hundreds of bags full of food was Rick Gridley, Big 5’s Director of Public Affairs. During a break in the action, I chatted with Rick, who shared his enthusiasm with me in regards to these community functions with Hollenbeck. Besides the turkey giveaway, Hollenbeck (first established in 1976) is also known for their huge “Miracle on 1st Street” Toy Giveaway gala in December.

“This is awesome! I’ve been involved with Hollenbeck since around 1996, the year they had the toys taken,” Gridley tells me. “And we’ve never left after that. We love what they’re doing for the community. And Danny, Beatrice and Priscilla are amazing. Danny is the real deal–he’s a class act.”

And Rick is also a big boxing fan too. Making our way up to the ring on the second level of the gym, he talks about his time fighting in Europe as a youth. “I was a ‘Silver Mittens’ champ!” he says with a laugh. “That was our version of the Silver Gloves. I love boxing. We’ve even had events with Chris Arreola at our El Segundo Big 5 location.”

Sports/Program Director Nati Correa mentions that the boxing program is thriving at Hollenbeck. There are classes offered during the week and they have also been working with other gyms in sparring. “We have Adrian Arreola, Jose “Ugly” Arreola, Richard “Flaco” Alvarez and Timmy Ortiz training the kids now,” Nati says. “The boxing program is going great!”

Looking through the ropes of the boxing ring, the line-up on the gym floor is moving swiftly as the turkeys and goodies are dispersed to the crowd. When I first arrived at Hollenbeck, there were rows upon rows of food covering the entire gym floor, waiting to be distributed. During the next couple of hours, the bags thinned out until each of the 500 families received their turkey feast.

Danny and his wife, Bea Hernandez, know how important it is to be able to give others a chance for a better Thanksgiving holiday. The pair is known for always giving back to the city and beyond through the Hollenbeck Youth Center, the Hollenbeck Police Business Council and Inner-City Games LA. Along with their daughter, Priscilla, the family is a real “knockout” team in their efforts to assist others.

Their generosity also comes from the heart. “I am from a family of nine,” Bea comments as we watch Priscilla (who’s expecting her first child due next year) and Danny greet the hundreds coming through the doors, “so I know how hard my dad worked to give us everything we needed. We are happy to be able to give these families a good Thanksgiving meal–no one should be without food for the holidays.”

As we watched the men and women receive their turkeys, I observed the gratitude showing in their expressions. I noticed some entered the gym slowly while walking in with a cane, several toted a child in their arms or rolled in with baby strollers, a few just had a world-weary look on their faces. But with the community and families coming together during this annual tradition, all were thankful in receiving this gift.

Thanks to Schwarzenegger, the Hernandez clan and all their sponsors and volunteers associated with the event, there will be over 500 families enjoying a festive meal Thursday night.

And on a personal note, the “Chatter Box” wishes everyone a wonderful holiday in which we remember to count all of our blessings, both big and small.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ALL!

Photos by Michele Chong and Steve Harpst