WASHINGTON -- Cars streamed into the parking lot of the Nationals Youth Baseball Academy on Monday afternoon and evening. The Academy¡¯s fourth annual Turkeypalooza provided 180 turkeys and 300 bags of produce to participants of the facility¡¯s youth baseball and after-school programs ahead of Thanksgiving.

¡°The most important thing to us is that we are an authentic member of this community,¡± said Tal Alter, CEO of Washington Nationals Philanthropies. ¡°We¡¯re fortunate to have been able to invest the resources to create such a beautiful, dynamic facility. We want to make sure that it¡¯s maximized in order to serve the community, and -- especially this time of year -- providing access to food is vital.¡±

This year¡¯s Turkeypalooza provided food for 900 meals. The event was expanded to include the distribution of produce, funded by donations from Nats fans to the Academy¡¯s Field of Greens farmers market through the Buy a Bag program, in partnership with 4P Foods. The market offers access to fresh food where there are just three grocery stores to serve nearly 165,000 residents of Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C., according to the DC Food Policy Council¡¯s Food System Assessment.

¡°This is not transactional in any way; we¡¯re here every day out of the year,¡± said Alter. ¡°It¡¯s important that people know that they have access to events like this. But, more importantly, our doors are open and we¡¯re here to serve the community and be members of the community throughout the year.¡±

The day before Turkeypalooza, the Nationals Philanthropies also began 10 Days of #GivingTuesday to benefit the Academy. Those who donate $100 or more will receive a winter hat with the Academy¡¯s logo. This fundraising program runs through Nov. 30, the annual day of giving.