You may have noticed a party happening on Main Street in downtown Culver City recently. It was all part of the Thanksgiving Turkey Drive that was held at LaRocco’s Pizzeria.
By all accounts, the turkey drive was a success, collecting over $1500 in donations, as well as frozen turkeys and dried goods.
The final count, which included 28 turkeys donated by Golden State Water Company, well exceeded expectations for the inaugural event.
LaRocco’s owner, Paul LaRocco, teamed up with the E J Jackson Foundation, which gave out over 10,000 complete, ready-to-make turkey dinners to families in the greater Los Angeles area.
For Paul the event is all about coming together as a community and giving back in meaningful ways during the holiday season.
He was touched by the compassion that he witnessed from the volunteers as “family after family was given a box of delicious food to take home and enjoy.”
The turkey drive, which took place on Sunday, Nov. 18 at LaRocco’s Pizzeria, was a celebration from beginning to end. There was food, music, dancing, and a raffle.
The entertainment included Paul LaRocco himself, teaming up up with his musical pal, Charles Powers, to sing a few classic tunes.
A group of young performers from Kids on the Porch, along with group founder Rayna Ray, brought their enthusiasm, talents, and smiles to the event.
The raffle, all of which was donated by local businesses, included an overnight package at Culver Hotel, an iPad mini from MelroseMac, 4-packs of tickets to the Kirk Douglas Theater, and gift certificates from Rocco’s Tavern, Kay and Dave’s Cantina, The Whole Gallery, and Main Street Optometry.
Mayor Andrew Weissman stopped by the turkey drive, along with CCUSD Superintendent Dave Larose, City Manager John Nachbar, Kirk Douglas Theater’s Operation Manager Eric Simms, and Councilman Jim Clarke.
They came over to join in the fun and show the support of our great city for this amazing event.
Next year, the Turkey Drive looks to be even bigger, partially as a result of the lessons learned from this year’s event.
Paul LaRocco is hooked on giving and it is clear that he is always learning from his experiences. This year he saw how important community involvement is to the success of the drive.
He looks to include even more community groups, such as local PTAs, and hit the ground running as early March in preparation for next year’s drive.
Growing up, Paul LaRocco’s father told him that you should “aim for the stars and you will always land in the tree tops.”
When asked about his vision for the growing event, LaRocco said, “I see more community involvement, more fun, and more turkeys.”
Edward Biagiotti, Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District, writes about inspired education at www.Tap