For a fifth year and just in time for the holidays, the Center Table Fall Harvest Thanksgiving food distribution event will be held Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024, from 9-11 a.m. at the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center (1800 Bonnie View Rd, Dallas, TX 75216). Additionally, meal boxes will be delivered to older adults living in the neighborhood as well as a nearby high school and recreation center. In total, the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center team will deliver approximately 1,300 food boxes and turkeys, providing meals for more than 5,000 people.
HEB is the lead sponsor. Center Table Fall Harvest is also presented by The Mark Cuban Foundation, The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, The Heroes Foundation, City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture and NFM, in partnership with the North Texas Food Bank.
Free and open to the public, the drive-through event is geared toward people who reside in the surrounding neighborhoods of the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center including Oak Cliff and southern Dallas County. Pre-registration is NOT required.Food boxes are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
“Food insecurity is still an issue, especially with inflation continuing, childcare costs rising and student loan payments resuming – it’s a tough time,” said Trina Terrell Andrews, CEO of the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center. “The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center and our partners hope that this gesture helps as families and friends come together for Thanksgiving.”
The Thanksgiving meals, serving 4-6 people, will include a whole turkey or two whole chickens, three sides, two cans of cranberry sauce, dessert and a one-gallon drink or case of water along with containers to warm the food in the microwave or oven. This year, the boxes will also include snacks and three additional meals.
“With children being home from school during the holiday break, we’re especially grateful to HEB for generously supplementing our event with extra food items this year,” added Scott Tomlin, director of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation who recruited HEB to join the Center Table initiative.
Members from Dallas Fire-Rescue, the Dallas Police Department and Texas Department of Public Safety will volunteer to distribute the meals. Entertainment will be provided by The Guitar Slayer, Infinite Arts Movement and Ollimpaxqui Ballet Co. In addition, artists from the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture will be on hand.
In addition, as part of Center Table Fall Harvest, specially catered meals will be delivered to a pre-selected group of older adults in the Center’s surrounding neighborhoods prior to Thanksgiving week. Additional meal boxes and turkeys will be distributed through a special distribution at Dallas ISD’s Roosevelt High School and Kiest Park Recreation Center.
Center Table launched in May 2020 to address the difficult times many families have faced since the onset of the pandemic. Since then, Center Table events have provided more than 32,000 meals and 2 million pounds of food to families and households.
For more info, go to markcubanheroescenter.org, call 214-379-7451 or email heroesactivities@gmail.com.
ABOUT THE MARK CUBAN HEROES BASKETBALL CENTER.The Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center is a multi-purpose facility for neighborhood youth and families providing sports and leadership programs. The Center expanded its services to address the critical needs arising during the pandemic related to food insecurity, including the distribution of afterschool snacks, meals and food boxes to neighborhood families.