NEW YORK -- Bundled in a royal blue jacket with a Mets beanie atop his head, Seth Lugo hauled another turkey out of a nearby container, offering it to a beaming woman. Lugo took a quick break to pose for a few selfies as his wife, Amanda, continued giving out turkeys and other food. Then it was back to the preparation line for more work.
About an hour later, Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon and manager Mickey Callaway pulled up to a house two miles away, near the border of Queens and Brooklyn. They rang the doorbell and surprised a family with a full Thanksgiving dinner.
Such was the scene throughout the five boroughs last week, when the Mets teamed up with five local organizations to distribute more than 800 turkeys and other food products to families in need. Lugo, Wilpon, Callaway and numerous Mets employees fanned out over New York City to deliver the packages in conjunction with NYPD Community Affairs.
"To see the smiles on their faces when we give them a turkey and the food, it's priceless," Lugo said. "It's really special for me and my wife to be out here doing this. It may be cold out here, but it warms us up doing what we're doing right now."
The turkey deliveries were just part of the team's month-long "MetsGiving" initiative, which began with a coat drive earlier this month at Citi Field. The Mets' community efforts will continue next month with their annual holiday party at Citi Field, where more than 100 local elementary school students are scheduled to come to Citi Field for games, lunch and holiday songs, and with a food drive on Dec. 11 at Citi Field.
"It's the first time I've been able to be involved in this, and I think it's great," Callaway said of the "MetsGiving" initiatives. "We as the New York Mets care about all New Yorkers. It's great to come here and be a part of this. It's very special to me. We want everybody to have a happy Thanksgiving."
Lugo called the experience "humbling" for him and his wife, remarking upon the reactions of those he met while giving away turkeys. Others on the roster have spent their offseason involved in charitable efforts of their own, including pitcher Steven Matz, who hosted a bowling night in November to benefit the families of fallen first responders. Still others will attend future team events, such as the holiday party -- Brandon Nimmo has already requested to be a part of that one, after thoroughly enjoying his experience last year.
The Mets as an organization were active all year with community events in schools, hospitals and elsewhere throughout the five boroughs. Thanksgiving simply offers a chance to shine added light on their efforts.
"This is fantastic," Wilpon said. "To allow us to come to a house like this and a family like this, and see how much this means to them to get a full Thanksgiving dinner from us, is outstanding."