The 28th Annual Guerrilla Turkey Drive Needs Your Help

The Guerrilla Turkey Drive started out in 1994 with the legendary "Craig and Al", back when they were "Rock and Roll DJs" on North Reserve. They were talking on the air about how the Missoula Food Bank was running low on food for Thanksgiving. Two listeners heard the call and dropped off a couple of frozen turkeys at the radio station. Then, the "Guerilla Turkey Drive" was born.

Why do you call it that?

The one question that we always get is "what's with the name"? It was chosen because it was "Craig and Al" and because they wanted to fight hunger one turkey at a time, kind of like "Guerrilla Warfare". The next year they made an effort to specifically ask for turkeys and we have continued the tradition ever since. Over the years it has gotten so big that we have needed to use a refrigerated semi-tractor trailer to house all the turkeys. Decker Truck Lines has been an amazing partner providing a refrigerated trailer and the fuel to keep it cold for the duration of our turkey drive. We have also teamed up with Missoula Electric Cooperative who have donated hundreds and hundreds of turkeys over the years.

Who do you help?

We currently help six different organizations in Western Montana.

The need is high

We have been in talks with these food banks and we are hearing the same story from all of them. The need this year for turkeys is very high. Montana has seen a huge increase in people moving to our area over the past few years. With the increase of people, the food banks are seeing an increase too, with more people seeking help. There have also been news stories lately that there may be a shortage of turkeys this year. The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner is on the rise this year as well, due to inflation.

We are asking for your help again this year to make sure as many people as possible in Western Montana have a turkey for Thanksgiving. We will be focusing on turkeys this year as we have in the past because a medium size turkey can feed a family of four or five with leftovers. We will accept other foods too: canned goods, frozen food, etc. The local food banks will also take game if it is processed professionally.

Who uses food banks?

Our area food banks have told us the same story every year. Most people who use food banks only use them as a necessity for a short period of time. If an unexpected medical bill or mechanic bill comes up, they just need some help to make ends meet. A lot of people use food banks just once.

Please help in any way you can.

The list of people who have helped over the years is incredibly long, from local businesses to individuals. We thank them as many times on the air as we can during the entire event. If you can't find a turkey this year please consider a cash donation. The area food banks buy a lot of their food in bulk so their money can go a lot further than if you were to go to store to shop. Please think about helping with the "Guerilla Turkey Drive" this year.

We will be in a brand new location this year at 3250 South Reserve. We will start the drive on Monday, November 14th and continue through Friday, November 18th. We always hope this will be the last time we will need to do this event, but it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon.