You’ve taken your dog, your daughter and your son to work. Friday, take a turkey.

Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado and KLite 106.3FM have declared Friday as Take a Turkey to Work Day. The food bank hopes to collect 7,000 turkeys to distribute to the needy for Thanksgiving.

The idea, said Shannon Coker, Care and Share community relations director, is to have people take frozen turkeys to work, then have one person deliver the turkeys to collection points at one of three Wal-Mart stores.

The participating Wal-Marts are at 8250 Razorback Road, near Chapel Hills Mall; 1575 Space Center Drive, near Powers and Palmer Park boulevards; and 707 S. 8th St. Turkeys will be collected 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“There is a big demand this year,” Coker said. Last year, the food bank called for 6,000 turkeys and collected 6,600, she said.

The Marian House Soup Kitchen needs 700 turkeys — some for food boxes the soup kitchen puts together for recipients and others that it delivers to rural food pantries, said Rochelle Blaschke Schlortt, director of communications for Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs, which runs Marian House.

As of Thursday, the soup kitchen had 100 turkeys, she said.

Turkeys can be dropped off at Marian House, 14 W. Bijou St., at the west end on the dock, she said.

North Middle School also is collecting frozen turkeys and canned food or cash 8-9 a.m. Friday for its “Eat More Turkey” campaign. Donations will be collected at the school, 612 E. Yampa St., by Chick-fil-A’s cow and a turkey-costumed school official.

Springs Rescue Mission put out a call Monday for 600 turkeys for food boxes and has received nearly 1,000 and they’re still coming in.

“This has been the greatest outpouring of support from our community that we have ever seen,” Larry E. Yonker, Springs Rescue Mission chief development officer, said in an email.

TEXT A TURKEY

This year, Care and Share has launched Text A Turkey to collect $10 donations that will be used to provide turkeys to hungry families. To participate, text TURKEY to 41010. Each text will result in a one-time $10 charge added to your cell phone bill.

Parents dropping off their children at North Middle School Thursday morning were greeted by a large waving turkey and Asst. Principal Stacy Brisben. The man in the turkey suit is actually North I.B. Coordinator Bill Shell. Students and families are trying to fill Bill’s trunk to make Thanksgiving baskets for families of students who might need some extra help. The turkey will make a reappearance Friday to continue filling the trunk. Photo by JERILEE BENNETT/The Gazette