Alumni Lend a Hand with 2014 Thanksgiving Drive
![Kneeling, from left: Mat Grau '68, William Stoudt '07, Stephen Combes '04, John Laughlin '80, Mat Grau III '92, and Kurt Werling; Standing, from left: Ryan Plummer '96, Tommy Barbier '84, Hank Adams '86, John Ecuyer '83, John Combes '73, Hank Ecuyer '51, Bob Stevens '74, Wayne del Corral '77, Rob Stevens '04, Joe Angelico '63, and Kurt Werling '91. (Not pictured: Mike Varisco ’83, Sean Stratton ’83, and Brian North ’83)](https://cdn.jesuitnola.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ThanksgivingDrive_20141125_Alumni-Baskets_106feature-506x336.jpg)
Kneeling, from left: Mat Grau ’68, William Stoudt ’07, Stephen Combes ’04, John Laughlin ’80, Mat Grau III ’92, and Kurt Werling; Standing, from left: Ryan Plummer ’96, Tommy Barbier ’84, Hank Adams ’86, John Ecuyer ’83, John Combes ’73, Hank Ecuyer ’51, Bob Stevens ’74, Wayne del Corral ’77, Rob Stevens ’04, Joe Angelico ’63, and Kurt Werling ’91. (Not pictured: Mike Varisco ’83, Sean Stratton ’83, and Brian North ’83)
Jesuit’s annual Thanksgiving Drive is a tradition that Blue Jays continue to support long after they graduate from Carrollton and Banks. Alumni from the 1940s to the 2000s return to Jesuit each year to participate in the community service event. The tradition dates back nearly 100 years, and continues to bring back more alumni each year. At least as early as 1927, a Thanksgiving Drive was being organized by the student Sodality, who placed boxes in each classroom for the collection of food items for the city’s poor.
On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, alumni gather enough perishable and non-perishable items to provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner for basket recipients. The Class of 1983 also provides enough turkeys for not only the alumni baskets, but also for more than 200 student baskets. The alumni portion of the Thanksgiving Drive costs between $8,000 and $9,000, and a group of alumni from the 1970s and 1980s have coordinated class-level appeals dedicated to covering the expense. Alumni may donate to the drive to help cover the costs of providing these meals.
The effort started earlier this month when David Martin ’83 spoke to students at Morning Assembly, encouraging Blue Jays to do their best to provide a Thanksgiving meal for needy families in our area, and continued today as members of the Alumni Association gathered food items to pack boxes for 180 needy families in the metro area. Several individual alumni classes, such as the Class of 2007, have also adopted families and will work on organizing those boxes for tomorrow’s delivery.
The Alumni Association will meet Wednesday morning to finish adding perishable items to the baskets. Many alumni will join with students and faculty in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs at the Prayer Service. The drive culminates with the basket delivery as alumni, students, faculty, and perhaps a parent or two, make their way to the neighborhoods of the city to brighten the lives of a few hundred families.
Thanksgiving Day Mass
The entire community of Jesuit High School is invited celebrate Mass on Thanksgiving Day at 10 a.m. in the Chapel of the North American Martyrs.
Galleries
Thanksgiving Drive, Alumni, Nov. 25-26, 2014
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In the cafeteria, Ryan Plummer '96 and Wayne del Corral '77 start the process of packing Thanksgiving Day boxes.
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Ryan Plummer '96
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William Stoudt '07, John Combes '73, Mat Grau III '92, Mat Grau '68, and Tommy Barbier '84
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John '73 and Steven Combes '04
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Mat Grau '68 and William Stoudt '04
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Kurt Werling '91, John Laughlin '80, and John Ecuyer '83
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Hank Adams '86
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Joe Angelico '63, Bob Stevens '74 and young Kurt Werling
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Kneeling, from left: Mat Grau '68, William Stoudt '07, Stephen Combes '04, John Laughlin '80, Mat Grau III '92, and Kurt Werling; Standing, from left: Ryan Plummer '96, Tommy Barbier '84, Hank Adams '86, John Ecuyer '83, John Combes '73, Hank Ecuyer '51, Bob Stevens '74, Wayne del Corral '77, Rob Stevens '04, Joe Angelico '63, and Kurt Werling '91. (Not pictured: Mike Varisco ’83, Sean Stratton ’83, and Brian North ’83)
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The truck with more than 400 turkeys arrives around 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25.
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2014 Turkey Drive chairman David Martin '83 backs the back up.
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After classmates exchange pleasantries, the unloading begins.
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Marc Belloni, Danny Sobrepera, and Sal Bernades start the assembly line that will take the turkeys from the truck to the Jesuit cooler.
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Greg Kessler gets an assist from son David.
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Mike Lavie from the Class of 1980 pitches in to assist Brian North.
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Ron Drez, who is soon to become a deacon, is happy to pitch in.
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Malcolm Schwarzenbach and Jimmy Holmes keep it cool in the freezer.
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Senior Bryan Jones and Mr. D.J. Galiano '06, who helps coordinate the school's maintenance needs, work hand in hand.
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Rene Alvarez with 11 year-old son James.
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Mark Alvarez, who will serve as the chairman of the Class of 1983 Turkey Drive.
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Luis Ingles is all smiles.
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Adrian Colon and Louis Schott unload boxes of turkeys from the truck.
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Doug Charles uses every ounce of muscle.
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MIke Varisco helped start the drive for his class.
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Louis Schott does some heavy lifting.
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Mark Wegmann with his son Jack.
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When the work is done, the Class of 1983 takes a well-deserved rest.
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Greg Kessler with sons David and James.
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Sean Stratton and daughter Elena made the trip all the way from Los Angeles to visit family and be a part of Jesuit's Thanksgiving Drive effort.
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2014 Turkey Drive chairman David Martin with sons Sammy and Noah
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Jesuit president Anthony McGinn, S.J. joins members of the Class of 1983 and their families for a final photo.
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In the Student Commons, eight year-old Kyle Collins helps pack baskets with alumni families.
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Pre-freshman Robert McMahon loads boxes with Gordon Kitziger.
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Amy McMahon with her son John McMahon, a Jesuit freshman
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Tommy Barbier with daughter Caroline
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Alumni familes take a moment to acknowledge their wonderful work, but more importantly, remember the needy families they will be assisting on Thanksgiving Day.
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John McMahon '87 shares his appreciation.
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Alumni director Mat Grau '68 talks about how the Drive's alumni effort has grown over the past few years.
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Service projects director Kevin Murphy '00 offers a final thanks on behalf of Jesuit and the 180 families alumni will feed this holiday.
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Jesuit president Fr. Anthony McGinn '66 visits with Paul Kitziger '88 and his son Gordon.
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Three members of the Class of 2003: Michael Alfortish, David Hanemann, and Ian Blanchard.
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Jay Quinlan '86 with son Will.
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Members of the Thanksgiving Drive alumni organizing committee: Mike Lavie '80, Tommy Barbier '84, alumni director Mat Grau '68, Eric Simonson '82, and John McMahon '87