WILLMAR -- The brown boxes set on the loading dock at the Willmar Area Food Shelf Tuesday afternoon may have appeared like a simple donation while framed in the large doorway, but looks can be deceiving.
Frozen within those boxes were 21 turkeys, donated to the Food Shelf by generous shoppers through Willmar's Cub Foods.
As part of a corporate promotion, the grocery store offered customers a buy one, get one free deal on frozen turkeys the last full week in October.
Customers who purchased the turkeys were offered the choice of keeping it or donating it to the food shelf.
"It's a good way to run an effective promotion like that and also benefit the food shelf," said Cub Foods Store Director Ross Evink.
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Cub's sale also benefited Jennie-O Turkey Store in Willmar. As Evink looked at the frozen birds, he said Cub Foods parent company, Supervalu Inc., tries to partner with Minnesota companies during promotions. This is the third year Cub Foods has used the promotion, Evink said. "By far the best reaction we've had," he continued.
Christie Kurth, Willmar Area Food Shelf executive director, was pleased with the donations.
Kurth said the donations save the food shelf a lot of money.
"It helps meet the needs of the holiday season," she said.
With some 300 clients served by the food shelf per month, the frozen birds will only benefit a select few. Kurth said the food shelf has partnered with The Salvation Army to promote their holiday baskets.
Those who miss out on the deadline for The Salvation Army's holiday baskets will still have a chance to receive a turkey, Kurth said.
