So ahead of this year’s Brawl of the Wild football game, the food bank is looking for 1,200 turkeys.

Earlier this week, food bank staff weren’t sure they’d met their goal — they’d only collected about 25% of the turkeys needed as of Wednesday night, according to HRDC Communications Manager Penny Johnson.

But by Thursday afternoon, staff felt more confident thanks to “generous benefactors,” Laura Stonecipher, programs manager for the food bank, told the Chronicle.

“Everyone deserves a nice Thanksgiving,” Stonecipher said. So the 1,2000 Thanksgiving boxes the food bank expects to distribute this weekend includes turkey and “all the fixins’.”

And the food bank has seen increased need recently, thanks in part to the COVID-19 pandemic and ever increasing grocery prices, Stonecipher said.

That’s where Can the Griz and the 6,000 pounds of potatoes come in.

The boxes contain canned and boxes donations collected through the annual friendly competitive food drive between Bozeman and Missoula, or Montana State University’s Bobcats and the University of Montana’s Grizzlies, ahead of the rivals’ clash on the field, as well as the potatoes donated by Jacob and Bill Kimm of Kimm’s Organics in Churchill.

To help meet the need, Kenyon Noble donated a “pallet” of turkeys and Nina’s Tacos donated another 300, but most of the turkeys come in turkey by turkey, Stonecipher said.

“If you’re having a bad day or a bad week this time of year, you come in here and see people bringing in one turkey at a time and it’s so heartwarming to see the community coming together,” she said.

Donations to the Can the Griz drive will be accepted until the end of the first quarter of Saturday’s game, but Stonecipher encourages folks to drop off their donations by Friday so volunteers and staff can count, organize and pack the Thanksgiving boxes.

(Most donations will benefit the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, but donations dropped off on campus will go to MSU’s Bounty of the Bridgers Campus Food Pantry).

The Thanksgiving boxes will be distributed in Bozeman and Belgrade on Sunday, Nov. 19. Families are asked to sign-up for a box ahead of time either online or by calling 406-586-7600.

Distribution will take place at 1812 N. Rouse Avenue in Bozeman from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday or at Living Waters Methodist Church, 51 W. Cameron Bridge Road, in Belgrade from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday,

Those interested in making a monetary donation to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank can visit gallatinvalleyfoodbank.org.