Food bank director Samantha Kirstein said Walmart surprised her organization last week with a donation of 1,089 frozen turkeys. The birds average 18 pounds apiece, which adds up to nearly 10 tons of poultry.
Kirstein said the gift is welcome because months that follow major holidays can be slow for donations.
Walmart manager Tim Ericson told the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner the store's warehouse had become overstocked.
He said Walmart could have shipped the turkeys back but that it made more sense to donate them.
Kirstein said the turkeys will be added to food boxes for large families and used for Meals on Wheels deliveries.
Important warning about e-mails purporting to be from the adn.com staff.