Hundreds gathered in Wilmington Tuesday for the 40th annual NOR Enterprises Turkey Drive.
More than 3,000 turkeys were distributed to seniors and families in need.
The birds were distributed at breakneck speed, hitting 12 sites in just under three hours.
This year marks the last Turkey Drive for organizer and former Wilmington City Councilmember Norman Oliver.
Over the last four decades, he helped run the event distributing more than 120,000 turkeys to families across Wilmington and the state.
“We’ve touched a lot of lives, right? A lot of people. The real thing is the volunteers, right? We have a lot of volunteers. A lot of people come together. You have churches, right? You have synagogues. You have politicians. You have rich, poor, Black, white, young, old,” Oliver said.
Oliver said even though he’s stepping away from the Turkey Drive, it will continue next year with different organizers.
Wilmington Mayor Mike Purzycki said the event brings the city together.
“Something like this is a reflection of who we are. It’s a giving community, a generous community. Norman Oliver, of course, has been dedicated to this for 40 years, which is extraordinary,” Purzycki said.
Partners for the event include Food Lion, United Way of Delaware, UnitedHealthcare and others.
