The second annual ‘Dinner or Pardon?’ Turkey Food Drive has begun, thanks to Tay and Candace Krull of Normandy Park.

The goal of this fun Food Drive – located at the corner of SW 200th Street and 3rd Ave SW (map below) – is for residents to vote whether to “eat the turkeys” (dinner), or “pardon” them. Votes can be cast by donating non-perishable food to the appropriate barrel, with all donations going to Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission.

The turkey’s names this year are Norm and Emma Jean (Norm is for Normandy Park). Last year it was Tom and Jerry; a Tom is a male turkey and Jerry is what they call a female Turkey.

Norm and Emma Jean were hatched on May 2, 2019, so they’re now six months old.

This year’s models are Heritage Bronze Turkeys, and are very different from last year’s, who were Royal Palms which are predominantly white with some black.

Here’s a taste of the two:

Last year Tom and Jerry were pardoned and now live happily on a farm in Oregon.

Food Drive collections and turkey viewing will run through Thanksgiving.

Last year, Normandy Park Mayor Johnathan Chicquette conducted a Pardoning Ceremony for Tom the Turkey that was extremely well attended, and will likely do the same this year if the Pardon donations look to be the clear winner.

You can follow or friend Norm on Facebook – he has 115 (or so) Friends:

https://www.facebook.com/norm.theturkey

Norm has already booked future appearances in the coming weeks on KING5’s ‘Take 5’ program (filming today at 1:15 p.m.) and in The Seattle Times. Last year, Tom and Jerry were featured several times on KING5, local blogs including The B-Town Blog and local news magazines.

Last year, the turkeys received 2,511 non-perishable food donations, benefiting Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission.

Turkeys are generally out by mid-morning, often much earlier and they are out on display until dusk or later each night.

“Last year was the first year,” Tay told The B-Town Blog. “My wife Candace had an idea to help the homeless and hungry, and constructed the enclosure out by the street, put our pet turkeys in it and put bins out front that said ‘Pardon’ and ‘Dinner.’ The community quickly embraced the food drive by bringing large quantities of food and ‘voting’ with their donations for either Pardon or Dinner. For several weeks, the masses came to see the turkeys and donate food for the homeless. There was almost never a minute of daylight when we didn’t have people out there enjoying the turkeys.”

Tay adds that this fundraiser was meant to be a great way to teach their sons Ray and Daniel about giving back to others and about helping the homeless and hungry in the area.

“We want our children to know there are things they can do,” he added.

As an added benefit, the community has really rallied around the event and so many people want to talk to them about the turkeys and how they love that they are doing it again this year.

“We think this has a chance to really be a long standing tradition in Normandy Park going forward, just adding to this great community while truly helping the homeless,” Tay said.

KING5 will stop in Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 at around 1:15 p.m. to film a story for ‘Take 5’ and they are sending local personality and “Almost Live!” comedian Chris Cashman to do the story.