LOS ANGELES -- One week before Thanksgiving, Angelenos lined up in cars outside the Algin Sutton Recreation Center starting from early in the morning. Hours later, they left with turkeys, fixings, desserts and smiles.
The Dodgers hold themselves to a high standard on the field, and they take the same approach to their efforts in the community. That work takes place year-round, but it takes on added significance during the holidays.
"It feels amazing, just being able to give back," said Mookie Betts, who was named the 2025 Roberto Clemente Award winner. "It's just a blessing, because not everybody can do it, but if you can, you should."
The South L.A. event was the final of three grab-and-go Thanksgiving dinner giveaways that the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation took part in during November, giving away around 3,000 meals to families in total.
The foundation partnered with Mookie and Brianna Betts, their 5050 Foundation, Brotherhood Crusade and We Benefit Children at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center on Nov. 20. World Series hero Will Klein passed out Thanksgiving supplies at an event in collaboration with Jacoby & Meyers at the Dream Center in Echo Park on Nov. 18. The foundation also worked with Brotherhood Crusade to distribute meals at Loma Alta Park in Altadena on Nov. 6.
In a year that began with devastating wildfires sweeping across the L.A. region, supporting the community that has shown up for them night in and night out has been important for the Dodgers.
"It means a lot, because they give their hearts and souls to watching the Dodgers," Klein said. "Just being in L.A. has been rough like the last year or so, and longer than that, obviously. So just to be able to come back and give back to the people that supported us all year, and to families and communities that need it and wouldn't be able to have Thanksgiving meals otherwise, is really great."
The Dodgers have had a long-standing presence at the Algin Sutton Recreation Center, which is home to two Dodgers Dreamfields. Their partnership with Brotherhood Crusade, an L.A. non-profit that describes its mission as "improving quality of life and meeting the unmet needs of low-income, underserved, under-represented and disenfranchised individuals," has also spanned several years.
"We've been doing this year after year after year," said Brotherhood Crusade president and CEO Charisse Bremond Weaver. "Understanding that folks have been in line since 3 a.m., the line has been all the way to the Imperial [Highway], the walk-up line has been far more than 100 walk-ups -- we just know that the need is so overwhelming. And so even though we are doing a small give, that small give means a lot."
As the Dodgers engage with those in need in their city, they have gleaned a better understanding of how to best serve the community over time. In previous years, they have also hosted a Thanksgiving drive-through at Dodger Stadium, but they chose to relocate that event to the Dream Center and Loma Alta Park. By going where their help is needed, the Dodgers were able to reach a wider range of people, including those who do not have cars or might otherwise have difficulty getting to the ballpark.
At the Dream Center event in particular, the Dodgers were pleased to see that they were able to accommodate a large walk-up line in addition to the drive-through.
"Given everything that's going on, given the challenges that people are facing," Dodgers vice president of government affairs and community relations Kristin McCowan said, "to go to a place where people know they can already expect some amount of giving is really helpful."
The holidays can be a difficult time of year for people in need. This year has already been hard as is for many Angelenos. By providing families with meals and resources, the Dodgers are doing their part to make a difference for those who need it.
"This has been a really tough year for a lot of families," Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation CEO Nichol Whiteman said. "A big roller-coaster here in Los Angeles. We started out the year with some really terrible natural disasters and more. … This opportunity to be able to provide turkeys and the fixings and education resources and health resources and even gift cards to families here in South Los Angeles, a community that we serve all year long, is just really important right now and super special."