Jeff Wolfson

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, players give back

by Dan Kolko View Comments

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is suddenly only two days away.

Seriously, it feels like I was at the beach two weeks ago. Where did the fall months go?

With Thanksgiving upcoming, a number of Ravens players spent yesterday and today extending a helping hand in Maryland's fight against hunger by proving turkeys and Thanksgiving fixings to local families.

Yesterday, safety Ed Reed went to his adopted Booker T. Washington Middle School, which he has done a handful of community projects with in the past. Reed provided Thanksgiving fixings to families at the Baltimore City school.

Also yesterday, in partnership with the Howard County Association of Realtors, running back Willis McGahee provided Thanksgiving baskets for 200 families throughout Howard County.

This afternoon, linebacker Ray Lewis, running back Ray Rice, guard Ben Grubbs and linebacker Jameel McClain all spent their day off providing food for the Baltimore community.

Lewis is currently hosting his annual distribution of Thanksgiving baskets and toiletries to Baltimore families. The event, which goes until 6 p.m., is being held at Bluford Drew Jemison Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Academy.

Rice will be leading the fifth-annual holiday dinner at the Helping Up Mission men's shelter in downtown Baltimore. The third-year running back and teammates will serve a meal to 275 men who live at the residential facility.

Grubbs will distribute Thanksgiving baskets to Baltimore-area, single-parent families for the second year in a row. The Ravens starting left guard has increased the number of benefactors from 100 in 2009 to 150 this year.

McClain will be playing off his jersey number (53) to provide 53 families with a Thanksgiving basket complete with a turkey and all the trimmings. He is partnering with the Salvation Army and the Baltimore City Chapter of Family Tree in his efforts.

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