Churchill teams up with The Lord's Kitchen to help needy

Volunteers from The Lord's Kitchen and Churchill Downs will again become

partners beneath the historic Twin Spires providing needy families and neighbors

with frozen turkeys and boxes of food during the annual Thanksgiving Family Food

Box Giveaway on Tuesday.

Nearly 600 families were served during the event last year, and a similar

number is expected to receive turkeys and boxes of holiday trimmings in the

distribution that scheduled for 10 a.m. (EST) Tuesday in the track's Paddock

Pavilion. This year's renewal marks the fourth consecutive year that Churchill

Downs has teamed with The Lord's Kitchen for the holiday Family Food Box

Giveaway.

The food boxes, which contain canned goods and non-perishable items

sufficient to feed a family of four on Thanksgiving, were being assembled Monday

by volunteers from The Lord's Kitchen and members of the Churchill Downs team.

Track employees and officials have also donated food items that are being placed

in those Thanksgiving boxes, with some track departments competing against each

other for the honor of largest amount of food items donated to the charitable

event.

Tickets for participants in the Thanksgiving Family Food Box Giveaway were

distributed earlier at a luncheon at Bellarmine University. Only those who

previously registered to participate in the event will be provided with a turkey

and food box. There is no walk-up distribution.

"The Thanksgiving Family Food Box Giveaway is always a special occasion for

our volunteers and the residents of this community that we 365 days a year,"

said Sam Watene, who has served as executive director of The Lord's Kitchen

since January and participated in last year's giveaway.

"Churchill Downs is both a good neighbor and important supporter of the work

of The Lord's Kitchen, and it is always wonderful to join with its employees in

this wonderful event. The need among the families we serve is greater than ever

in this year's Thanksgiving season, and we thank Churchill Downs and the entire

community for supporting the work of The Lord's Kitchen throughout the year." 

The Lord's Kitchen, which is located just a few blocks from the historic

racetrack at 2732 South 5th St. in Louisville, Kentucky, has been serving needy

families and residents in the neighborhood near Churchill Downs since 1988.

Additional volunteers to serve meals at The Lord's Kitchen on Thanksgiving

Day and Christmas Day are needed. Those interested in volunteering or donating

food for other holiday programs at The Lord's Kitchen should call (502) 964-3304

ext. 1250. More information on the work of The Lord's Kitchen is available on

its website at www.thelordskitchen.com.