Military Family Outreach Plans Big Bash for Turkey Money

Editor's Note: The following is from the San Clemente Military Family Outreach organization announcing their plans for a show Saturday to fund a turkey giveaway for Marine families.

Prospects for a festive Thanksgiving dinner at home became a whole lot brighter this week for over a thousand military families in north Camp Pendleton.

San Clemente Military Family Outreach (SCMFO), an all-volunteer non-profit, announced that they will again be distributing turkeys (plus roasting pans and complete dinner fixings) prior to the holiday so that qualifying families can prepare and enjoy the traditional meal in the privacy of their own quarters.

The outreach depends heavily upon two sources--an August mail campaign appeal and an October variety show--to raise in excess of $25,000 required for the meal. With an uncertain economic climate for the mail appeal, planners doubled down by adding more “variety” to the variety show, and also bringing back one of the hottest comedians around.

The enhanced show is billed as “Starry, Starry Night” and is said to bring an unprecedented number of  professional and amateur stars to the stage of the San Clemente Community Center on Saturday evening, October 29.

The musical program is expanded to include instrumental music in the person of  David Dunford, a celebrated pianist who has soloed with some of the finest symphony orchestras in the land and is featured on a current recording, “Behold, the Lord”. 

Youth is well served with Emma Werderman, a winner of the “Stars of Tomorrow” vocal competition in south Orange County high schools, and three other talented  “Tomorrow” finalists, Taylor Carol, Shannon Tweed and Abigail Schwartz.

They will be followed by an entertainer who will reprise “Hot August Nights” in the Greek Theater, as tribute artist Steve Roth presents a program of Neil Diamond favorites.

The comedy side of the evening suffers no shortage of star power, though, with funnyman Wayne Cotter, who has made multiple visits to Carson, Leno and Letterman stages; hosted Fox network’s weekly “Comic Strip Live” for three years; and has been nominated “Best Standup Comic” at the American Comedy Awards.

Show time on October 29th is 7 p.m., and the doors open at 6:15. Tickets are $25 for open seating or $35 for reserved table seating, and are available at the SCMFO office at St. Andrew’s By-the-Sea UMC, 2001 Frontera in San Clemente,  by mail via a downloaded order form at www.militaryfamilyoutreach.com, or by calling 949-492-2537.