Kansas American Legion Family’s annual Big Red Turkey Run provides Thanksgiving meals to around 240 military families at Fort Riley.
In 2008, a group of Kansas American Legion Riders got together to come up with a way to support the soldiers going through the newly opened Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) at Fort Riley. The resulting idea: The Big Red Turkey Run, which would deliver Thanksgiving dinners to the soldiers and their families just ahead of the holiday.
Eszter Blair, a member of ALR Chapter 40 in Leonardville who was one of those involved in the initial run, said around 25 military families going through the WTB were provided dinners that year.
The scale of the operation, as well as both the recipients and participants, has grown dramatically. But the mission remains the same – to ensure those serving at Fort Riley know The American Legion Family has their back.
On Nov. 22 at the Warrior Transition Battalion Fitness Center – more commonly known as “The Clam Shell” for its outward appearance – approximately 240 military families received all of the traditional non-perishable items associated with Thanksgiving dinner, as well as $30 gift cards to use at the base’s commissary to purchase a turkey, ham or whatever else the family needs.
“The point is to … be seen not just as The American Legion, but be seen as Americans supporting our troops,” said Blair, a two-time district commander and also a member of Post 40 and its American Legion Auxiliary unit. “It’s to give back to the soldiers. To show them that we care. To show them that there’s meaning behind their service and their sacrifice … knowing that we’re here to help them. To give them a little bit of breathing room.”
Originally just a Riders effort, Blair said it expanded to the entire American Legion Family “around 12 to 14 years ago when it got so daggoned big that the Riders couldn’t bring everything in.” Since then, as many as 800 families have been the recipients of the yearly effort.
Working a civil service job at Fort Riley, Blair knew full well the impact of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and said this year’s Turkey Run might even be more critical because of it.
“I know I didn’t get paid until last week,” she said. “If we had known about (the shutdown) early enough, we probably would have planned on providing for more families. Because the Legion has open wallets. Open hearts and open wallets.”
The WTB is now the Fort Riley Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU) of Irwin Army Community Hospital. The SRU’s commanding officer, Lt. Col. Benjamin Peffer, said the Kansas Legion Family’s support falls in line with his command’s mission.
“I think it gives the soldiers an additional opportunity for those that are struggling,” said Peffer, who took command of the SRU in November 2024. “Everything about the SRU is about taking care of soldiers, so this kind of adds to it to where we work with the Legion … to have them come in and ensure that all the soldiers get a Thanksgiving meal.
“I think that’s pretty awesome … those are relationships that we’ve built with the Legion. Everyone here has been a soldier at some point in time, so it’s just doing what we do. Giving back to the community and giving back to the soldiers.”
While the Legion Riders maintain lead on the Turkey Run – Kansas American Legion Riders Director Barry Maples served as this year’s coordinator – multiple entities contribute to the effort. ALR Chapters 68, 39, 370, 2, 40, 45, 63, 400, 131, 24, 62, 173, 17 and 240 took part, as did American Legion Post 4, as well as their respective Legion entities. And the Kansas Sons of The American Legion provided the commissary gift cards.
“It makes me proud to be part of an organization that can come together and provide Thanksgiving for others in need,” Maples said. “I’m just really proud of everyone that steps up so they can help out.”
Each family that comes to the food distribution is accompanied by a Legion Family member who pushes around a shopping cart to tables that have the various non-perishable items, including stuffing mix; instant mashed potatoes; cans of corn, green beans, cranberries and yams; rolls; and cookie and brownie mix.
Maples said being able to talk with the soldiers and/or their families is one of the highlights each year. “I think that’s one thing that a lot of the (Legion Family) members come for: so they can interact with the servicemembers and their families,” he said. “I did 20 years in the Army. It’s just nice to be able to talk to the younger military members every once in a while, just to get their feel of things as you walk around and talk to them. I think a lot of people just love to be able to interact with the Fort Riley community.”
That includes Chris McCush, a member of Sons of The American Legion Squadron and ALR Chapter 40, who has taken part in multiple Turkey Runs.
“We get to help people,” McCush said. “I talk with them. We share laughs. I find out a little bit about them. Here, we can actually say, ‘Hey, how are you doing. We’re with The American Legion (Family). We’re here to help you.’ It’s just a great feeling to be able to do it.
“We’re here to give back. That’s the main thing we should be doing. And every year we do this we have a lot of people who are very thankful for it. It’s one of the coolest things ever to see that smile and work with these people and help them have a great Thanksgiving. Because they all, honestly, deserve it.”
Over the years, the Turkey Run has been expanded to include families of deployed servicemembers, families with special-needs children and other soldiers and their families facing economic hardship.
For Chastity Flores – whose husband, Cpl. Domonique Lengieza, currently is on a rotation in Poland – this year’s Thanksgiving meal provided her a break as she watches over their home and five children ages 11 years old to seven months.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t realize that during the holidays is when it hits the hardest that your servicemember is gone,” Flores said. “So, even the simplest of tasks, like going to the store, can be overwhelming because everything stateside, the responsibility is on you. And so the fact that … this is provided for us, and we get to come in, get what we need … it’s just amazing. It’s really just such a blessing to be able to have this.”
Flores said she also appreciates that the Legion Family is aware of the sacrifices of those left behind when a servicemember deploys. “It is really nice to have that recognition,” she said. “We, as spouses, recognize what our servicemembers are doing and recognize that sacrifice. But I feel like many people forget the sacrifices that spouses and families do as well – especially the children when it comes to missing their dad or mom or whoever it is.
“So, it is nice to kind of have (the Legion) reach out and say, ‘Hey, we have this available. We’d like to help you.’”
Olivia Collins, the wife of Fort Riley soldier Robert Collins, also was a recipient of the Turkey Run. The mother of two children, she said the Kansas Legion Family’s effort is “wonderful. With the government shutdown, I know some people here have struggled, and I know this will help. This was a wonderful thing.”
Kansas American Legion state leadership was on hand for this year’s Turkey Run, including both National Executive Committeeman Jeremy Ehart and Alternate National Executive Committeeman Angela Evans, as well as Department Commander George Honn and Department Adjutant Jimmie Foster.
Honn said the annual effort “makes me feel proud in the state of Kansas the way the Legion Family works together.” Foster, meanwhile, said the support the Legion provides to SRU is geared at assisting recovering soldiers and their families.
“The soldiers and their families that come through (the SRU), they’re trying to hang on,” Foster said. “This helps bring them back, and anything we can do as The American Legion to help, that’s what we’re all about.”
National American Legion Family leadership also showed up for the event, including American Legion Auxiliary Central Division National Vice President Ann Buchanan. On her visit to Kansas, the West Virginia Unit 16 member specifically chose to attend the Turkey Run.
“West Virginia doesn’t have any bases,” Buchanan said. “I wanted to see something on base. To interact with the (active-duty servicemembers) is a little bit different than interacting with veterans.”
She came away from the event impressed. “I think it’s fantastic,” she said. “It gives (the Kansas Legion Family) a chance to meet the military people, and it gives the military people a chance to meet them and know what The American Legion might be able to do for them after they get out of the service.”
Also present was a Kansas Legionnaire who also happens to be serving as American Legion National Commander: Dan K. Wiley, who made it back to his home state briefly before heading off on a tour of the Far East.
“It’s always awesome to come back here,” Wiley said. “When you see the faces of these families that come through here and how appreciative they are, it is just amazing to see that you’re making a difference to the active-duty families here at Fort Riley. It’s just great – and especially during the holiday season – to be able to do this. To watch these families come through, it’s just amazing.”
Wiley also praised the volunteers that take part in the Turkey Run each year. “They love doing this,” he said. “Year in and year out they’ll donate this amount of food. It’s just an immense amount of pride for them to be able to do this.
“I always say in The American Legion we take care of one another. It’s what we do. And that’s exactly what they’re doing here. They’re taking care of those families on active duty that have a need.”
- Troops