How many sweet potatoes does it take to provide dinners for 125 families?

If each family receives 3-4 large potatoes and potatoes are on sale for 25 cents a pound, can you believe that it costs less than $100? This is not a practice test question for the math portion of an entrance exam; it’s some of the figuring I did while Thanksgiving shopping last weekend.

Why was I shopping for 500 people? For the Turkey Brigade! Each year PKSA (Professional Karate Schools of America) -Ann Arbor launches a Turkey Brigade throughout the month of November. The lobby slowly becomes filled with laundry baskets full of stuffing and cranberry sauce, and the students bring in pledge money collected for their kick-a-thon all in an effort to raise money to provide as many families as possible with a dinner of their own for Thanksgiving Day.

One of the tenants of discipline for being a student in the Martial Art of Tang Soo Do is learning to be a leader. There are lots of ways to do this, but Leah Parkinson and Joel Pitti, the owners of PKSA -Ann Arbor, have taught their students that the best way to lead is by serving others. They have even initiated a non-profit group in order to help them fulfill this goal --BLOCKS ( Be A Leader: Organization of Caring Karate Students).

The Turkey Brigade is the biggest event of the year for BLOCKS. Lots of fundraising and organizing goes into making it all come together. Many food items are brought in by students each week during karate classes. As Thanksgiving draws near, the items are tallied, and whatever additional foodstuffs are needed are purchased with funds donated by PKSA families and others.

Busch’s Market was the first stop for the shoppers. “It’s important to me to buy as much as we can from a local source,” remarks BLOCKS president Kord Kozma. Most of the food was acquired from Busch’s in Saline, including a special order of 125 turkeys. The staff was able to round up the items on a large cart and even offer a 10% discount. “This is so much fun!” comments Ginny Cardwell, a board member of BLOCKS who was also a part of the shopping experience.

The food was brought back to the karate school where students will help to organize it into care packages for community service groups to pick up and deliver in time for Thanksgiving.

During a time of year when I could be ogling Black Friday ads for name brand clothing, HDTV’s, and the newest techie gifts, it’s nice step back and think about what Thanksgiving is meant to be; thanks and giving. I am thankful for that reminder.

Lead Shopping Blogger Angie Smith will hunt for deals and dish on the latest in retail in Ann Arbor. Readers will attain notices of great deals, and store happenings in and around the city. To report a news item or tip contact her at angieannarbor@gmail.com