Opportunity to trade turkeys for Sabres tickets returns to Tops, Keybank

WEST SENECA, N.Y. (WIVB) — Car after car, turkey after turkey, many community members were up early Wednesday, hoping to exchange frozen turkeys for Sabres tickets.

The Buffalo Sabres, along with Tops and other sponsors, held their annual “Turkeys for Tickets” drive at participating Tops locations and the Keybank Center. Participants donated over 2,000 frozen turkeys to help fight food insecurity in the City of Good Neighbors.

“I love the Sabres, I mean I have been a Sabres fan since the early ’70s, so yeah, I love the sports teams and I feel like they do a whole lot for the community,” said Jeanne Goulding, a Hamburg resident who donated for a third year in a row.

“This community, they just want to support each other, they just want to help each other and it just multiplied over the years,” said Martin Biron, a broadcaster with the Buffalo Sabres.

For some donors, it was their first time being part of the drive, and for others, it has become a tradition.

“I think because it’s been going on for so long, it truly does become generational,” said Brian Duff, a broadcaster with the Buffalo Sabres. “You see fans coming through that have probably been season ticket holders since the ’70s or ’80s, and you also see a lot of young fans driving up, which is really great, that the community initiative is engrained in them already to help.”

The turkeys will be be split between both FeedMore Western New York and the Buffalo City Mission.

According to FeedMore, one in every eight adults and one in every five children face food insecurity. Drives like this help families put food on the table during the holiday season.

“The giving season really is important because there’s so many people who will lack a holiday meal that’s really part of the tradition of the holiday season is all about,” said Collin Bishop, chief communications officer of FeedMore WNY. “Help during the holiday season is always extra special and always needed.”

“So thankful for the community, everybody that came out, spent their morning waiting with us, spent their time to come out, wait in line, sling through and took the time to take turkeys — it’s wonderful and you really couldn’t put a price on that and the joy that it brings to people.” said Dorian Volsch, Director of Development and Marketing, Buffalo City Mission.

If you missed the Turkeys for Tickets drive and you would like to help support FeedMore WNY this holiday season, click here for more information or here for information about Buffalo City Mission.

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Hope Winter is a reporter and multimedia journalist who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here.

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