Big Mama reaches goal for turkey giveaway

LAUDERHILL (WSVN) -- Essie "Big Mama" Reed is reading for a big weekend turkey giveaway after a company made a generous donation in a last minute push to help her reach her goal.

Friday afternoon, Reed and her Team of Life were still short a few thousand turkeys of their goal of 20,000 she hoped to gather for the less fortunate. By the evening she recevied a donation of $5,000 from 411 Pain, that added the cherry on top, following an outpouring of major donations all day from corporations to caring individuals.

Several companies and organizations made substantial contributions Friday to Reed's effort, which includes the distribution of those turkeys later that night to needy Broward families as identified by the district's school system.

Fort Lauderdale Police Department chief Frank Adderly and the Fraternal Order of Police donated a truck-load of turkeys, totalling in the range of 45-50 of the birds. "We go way back [to when I was] a patrolman working in this neighborhood," said the chief. "[She has a] big heart for the neighborhood, big heart for the community, and she gives a lot."

Don Greene Poultry of Opa-Locka also got in on the giving spirit. "We've donated an additional $7,500 from Don Greene, and we are very proud to participate with Big Mama and benefit the community. It's small in comparison to what Big Mama does for the community," said Jeff Greene, grandson of the company's founder.

To top it off, representatives from Sapoznik Insurance of North Miami Beach presented Big Mama with a $1,000 check toward her cause.

There is a tremendous number of needy families in South Miami-Dade, an area severely hurt economically in 2009, so donors are being asked to continue giving through the weekend because Reed plans on handing out turkeys Monday in Florida City.

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