Story by D. Chaisson, Photos by B Sterkie
The 2021 edition of a “Turkey Drive-Drive” was the third version of this event, which started in the darker Covid19 days of 2020. It started as something that the club could do with social “distancing”. It was just a food donation event, but it was such a “feel good” event that it has earned a permanent spot on our calendar. This year, it involved more social interaction, a drive and lunch in Copperopolis.
We stared by gathering in a Walmart parking lot in Manteca, about a mile from the food bank. It was a good chance to get together with Yosemite members and get caught up with “what’s been going on”. To the right was a meeting of YOS Presidents, Brian Sturkie and Chuck Pierce. 26 Yosemite Region cars/ members rallied in the parking lot for the event. After the customary safety talk, we got in a long line to exit the parking lot and drive the short distance to the 2nd Harvest Food bank to unload our donations!
Our donations also included “cash” which the food bank can always use with their efficient purchasing power. The Yosemite Region, as the club itself, contributed $500 for the cause.
The Development Director, Jessica Vaughn, (the lady to the right with hand raised) gave a short summary of the food bank’s operations and how it serves such a large are of the valley. The food bank is sort of the “central bank” that pushes out supplies to more local food banks and then to even more local pantries. The logistics of all this makes one appreciate the difficulty of the task. The young man standing to Jessica’s right, Kobe Salas is the Volunteer and Food Drive Coordinator. He gave everyone an idea of the wide variety of volunteerism that is needed to run the food bank.
After depositing all our donations, we queued up in two groups for the Drive since there were too many cars to do the drive in a single group! We passed by several large freezer trucks, each filled with frozen turkeys! The “drive” was about 50 mile in length heading east into the foothills toward Oakdale. We used back roads as much as possible using River Rd, Rodden Rd and Orange Blossom Rd to avod Hw 108 and Oakdale, though ultimately ending up on Hwy 120’s scenic ride. Then north on O’byrnes Ferry Rd to Copperopolis Town Square for another surprise.
Yosemite member Jack Cox arranged for our cars to be parked in front of the newly opened Gateway Hotel.
Jack also arranged for the Hotel manager to host a wine tasting in the hotel’s lobby. There we learned about the hotel, its amenities and the many destinations that the Gateway Hotel services.
Our PCA insurance showed that this was the “end” of our event, but that was a bit of slight of hand. Everyone split up in their own groupings and enjoyed a lunch at one of the resturants in the Copperpolis Town Square. It seemed that Gold Dust Pizza (they really do have the best pizza in the gold country, IMO!) and Griffs
BBQ and Grill got most of our business. All in all, the event was well designed, well attended and enjoyed by all.