Thousands of families are expected to line up Friday morning for McIntyre Law’s annual Day of Kindness turkey giveaway, an event held every year just before Thanksgiving to help Oklahomans in need.
The giveaway, organized in partnership with Lawyers Fighting Hunger, is taking place at Southern Hills Baptist Church near Southwest 89th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Lines began forming well before sunrise.
Noble McIntyre, who organizes the event, said this year’s giveaway included not only turkeys but also sides for the first time, including green beans, corn, and stuffing. He said the addition of sides was intended to help families affected by earlier SNAP benefit disruptions and other challenges.
“The first person in line was here since 4 p.m. yesterday,” McIntyre said. “We already have 100, 200 people in line. It’s going to grow, and the line will wrap around the church. We’ll have several thousand people here today.”
Reflecting on the turkey giveaway’s impact, McIntyre said seeing families served makes the effort worthwhile.
“I do this year after year because I get so much out of it. I mean, we shut my office down. Yes, there’s a cost to that, yes. But the benefit to me is amazing. Just walking down the line, having people come up and say that, but for this event, they wouldn’t even have a Thanksgiving.”
McIntyre said the event is made possible by contributions from fellow trial lawyers and members of the Oklahoma Association for Justice. Over the past 16 years, the Day of Kindness has raised more than $1.6 million, with $165,000 raised this year alone.
I could never do this on the scale that I do without the assistance of my fellow trial lawyers who donate. In 16 years, we’ve raised over $1.6 million. This year was $165,000. And a lot of that comes from other lawyers other than me.
Amber, one of the first in line, said she arrived shortly after 5 a.m. This year marks her sixth time attending the event.
“It means we don’t have to worry about buying a turkey,” she said. “We get to spend more time with family and enjoy the holidays. What he does and what all the attorneys do is amazing to help all these people.”
Another guest, Mike, said he arrived around 5 a.m. after a difficult month.
“It means a lot because I usually have food stamps, and they got taken away from me.”
Organizers began handing out wristbands early as the line stretched through the parking lot and down the street. Along with turkeys, volunteers plan to distribute additional food items to help families prepare their holiday meals.
The turkey giveaway begins at 8 a.m., and News 9 will have live coverage throughout the morning.