Atlantic City, N.J. - Today, detectives from the State Police Casino Gaming Bureau put together 125 turkey feasts for needy city families just in time for Thanksgiving. This is the ninth year that the troopers have spearheaded their turkey drive, and with the help of some corporate donations, they set a new record for the number of meals provided.

Detectives coupled their own money with donations from the N.J. State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association, ShopRite of Egg Harbor Township, TD Bank Corporation, and Local 356 Gaming Enforcement P.B.A. to provide the meal components. Empty boxes were lined up on the gymnasium floor of the Pennsylvania Avenue School and filled with a turkey and all the ingredients for a holiday feast. After the meals were assembled, the needy families from the area were ushered into the gym to pick up the free food.

"We've been doing this for almost a decade and it feels better each year knowing we are helping more families enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday," said Det. Sgt. First Class Eric Hubbs of the State Police Special Investigations Squad.

Hubbs estimated that they donated more than one ton of food this morning. They hope to continue the donations next year and make the one decade anniversary even bigger than this year’s haul. More than 65 percent of the turkeys came from the donations of state police detectives and their families.

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