Many politicians host turkey giveaways around Thanksgiving to help cash-strapped residents celebrate the national holiday. They usually occur at a single site where people can pick up a bird for family gatherings.
Rep. Fabián Basabe is doing something a bit different: home deliveries, but with a catch.
The sophomore Miami Beach lawmaker has committed to giving out 500 turkeys to residents in House District 106, which spans Miami-Dade County’s coast between Aventura and Miami Beach.
But he’s asking for something in return: a story of gratitude, posted on any social media platform, that tags him and the city where you live.
“Tell me something real you lived. Tell me what you are grateful for and why it matters. … I will deliver Thanksgiving turkeys to the 500 most meaningful stories that reach me,” a graphic for the giveaway says.
“Hold on to what is good and who makes your life stronger. Gratitude still wins.”
In a statement provided to Florida Politics, Basabe said that heading into the holidays, he wants to “reset the tone a little.”
“There is plenty of noise out there, but gratitude has a way of cutting through it. Real gratitude. The kind that reminds us who we rely on and what actually keeps a community standing,” he said.
“I’m asking the people of District 106 to share what they’re grateful for and why. Honest stories pull people together in a way politics never will. If we start the season with that kind of energy, we’ll be in a much stronger place than where we started.”
Basabe said he hasn’t yet confirmed delivery of the turkeys. He added that he will also have kosher birds.
