The Krull family’s 4th annual “Dinner or Pardon” Turkey Food Drive has kicked off outside their home in Normandy Park – what fate will YOU vote for these two fine fowls to help neighbors in need?

This is an annual fundraiser where people can vote to “eat” the turkeys or “pardon” them, and this year the food drive will benefit Transform Burien.

“This year we are so excited to be partnering up with Transform Burien to donate all the food collected to their amazing local food bank,” Candce Krull told The B-Town Blog. “We visited Transform Burien last weekend just before their Sunday afternoon meal service and were so impressed with such a friendly, welcoming and well-run organization. They are very grateful for the food donations especially during this period of food shortages and higher prices. Every bit helps!”

People can help choose whether to pardon the family-raised turkeys (on proud display outside in a large pen), or eat them for dinner by donating non-perishable food items into marked containers. Each nonperishable food item is considered to be one vote. As of Nov. 16, 2021 the vote is 510 for Dinner and 918 for Pardon. Last year the fundraiser collected 5,216 total donations.

You can vote by donating non-perishable food outside their home, located at 20005 3rd Ave SW in Normandy Park (map below).

“The weather this year understandably has kept people from coming out like they have in years past,” Krull said. “We are really hoping with this nicer couple of days ahead we can make up some ground. Unfortunately a lot of our signs have blown away or have been ruined in the rain.”

‘Falcon Heavy’ wants to be pardoned.

And so does ‘Vladimir’!

Some facts about this year’s turkeys:

    • They are both boys. The bigger one is actually from last year, and is a Black Broad Breasted turkey that has been nicknamed ‘Falcon Heavy’ after the SpaceX’s rocket.
    • The other turkey is a heritage breed of turkey so he is much smaller. His name is Vladimir, named after the Krull son’s love of all things baseball and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from the Toronto Blue Jays. Vladimir is a Bronze Narragansett cross.
    • A fully mature male turkey is a Tom, a young male is a Jake, and a female is a Jenny. Only the male turkeys flare out their tail feathers.
    • The male turkey also has a patch of hair that grows from his chest that is called a beard. It starts to grow about 7-8 months of age and continues to grow as he gets older.
    • When you visit the turkeys you will be able to see Falcon Heavy’s beard, where young Vladimir’s is just starting to poke out from under his feathers. Will this information influence how you vote?