Message from the 2016 Chairman:

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My fellow porpoises, this is Johnny Hazard. I am the chairperson for the annual Class of‘83 Thanksgiving Drive. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Thanksgiving Drive.

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I am truly excited to be a part of the inner workings of this year's Drive. Throughout the last 20 years, our classmates have always called to ask how I’ve been and where ya;at. I’ve never felt obligated or solicited to contribute to the annual Turkey Drive. I did it because I felt privileged to be in a position to help. My contributions have never been significant, however, I always felt proud that I did participate.

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Last year I was asked if I would like to join the board for the 2016 Drive. After attending a board meeting in early January, I quickly realized that the turkey drive was more than just what the Class of ‘83 did. Those men who began this effort twenty years ago laid the foundation for future Blue Jays to take to action the three word phrase that was repetitiously ingrained into our conscious and subconscious, “Men for Others”.

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Our class raises funds, purchases the birds, and arranges logistics to have the birds delivered to Jesuit. Here is the part I didn’t fully appreciate - the entire student body, as well as a group of alums, builds and distributes the baskets all on a voluntary basis. No service hours, no shortened days, just plain “Men for Others”. We provide the main course, but the baskets have enough groceries to feed a family of four for about three weeks. It is quite impressive. We plan to provide enough birds for 460 families. Despite this large number, more than 300 families are still unable to share in our bounty. This year we are exploring options to serve those additional families.

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This coming week you will be receiving a call from classmates asking if you would be interested in participating in the 2016 Turkey Drive. I encourage everyone to take pride in our legacy and contribute what you can: your time, your prayers, or your money.

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Regards

Johnny Hazard