RSVP for Your 2024 Turkey Pit Spot!

1. Save Your Spot

Our local church in the Gilbert community has a youth fundraiser each year whereby we offer to cook turkeys (or meat of choice) for a donation.  The youth use this money for fun activities throughout the year ahead.  This has become a loved tradition to many in our community. 

On Thanksgiving eve, turkey pit guests will drop off their pit-prepared turkey for us to slow roast in our pit all night long. This process produces the most delicious, moist turkeys you have ever tasted. It will be hot and ready Thanksgiving morning!

Please reserve your spot. Space is limited. 100% of the money supports the young men & women for camp outings, equipment, activities, etc. Your generosity is appreciated!!

Reserve

2. Prepare Your Turkey

Please review carefully for the best turkey ever!

1. THAW your turkey completely.  It is ESSENTIAL that the turkey is completely thawed prior to drop-off as we cannot accept a frozen turkey.

2. REMOVE the turkey timer and innards.  It is VERY important to remove the timer from your turkey otherwise it may puncture your turkey bag and lose the juice.  Juice keeps your turkey scrumptious; Pull those timers out!

3. PREPARE your turkey to taste (i.e. season, fill the cavity with onion, garlic, or whatever your taste buds desire). No stuffing as it will turn to mush while cooking in the pit.

4. ENCLOSE the prepared turkey in a turkey oven bag. Ensure it is sealed. No slits. Recommend the use of two oven bags just in case. 

5. WRAP the turkey with heavy duty aluminum foil 4-5 times in alternating directions to make sure every possible crack/void is covered.

6. PLACE the foiled turkey in a disposable baking foil/aluminum pan.

7. MARK the outside of your foiled turkey to easily identify that it’s yours by writing your name on the foil and pan in Sharpie. When you drop your turkey off, we'll assign a metal tag unique ID# to affix to it.

3. Drop-Off for Cooking

Bring your THAWED turkey (or meat of choice) to 5656 S Higley Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85298.

Drop off – Wednesday, 11/27 between 5:30pm – 8:00pm in the parking lot of the church at Higley and Ocotillo.

Stay – While you're in the parking lot, please join the youth and other Gilbert families to some bounce houses, cotton candy and/or grab a hot dog! Who wants to cook the night before Thanksgiving? Let us ease your burden and have some fun while you're at it. There is no cost to join us!

Pick Up – Thursday, 11/28 morning between 9:30am – 10:00am. We recommend to bring an empty cooler/ice chest to put your meat in when you pick it up. This way your meat will stay hot until you are ready to eat your Thanksgiving feast. There will be no need to reheat your meat in the oven prior to eating.

Directions

The Turkey Pit Tradition: How it all Began

In the fall of 2008, the members of Boy Scout Troop 82 wanted to provide meaningful service to the Chandler Heights community.  Looking around, it was noticed the abundance of dead citrus trees in the area.  Troop 82 sprung to action by knocking on doors of friends and neighbors and offering to cut and clear the dead trees.  The response was overwhelming as friends in the community were served.  Many commented how impressed they were with the young men that worked so hard. 

After many trees were cut down and loaded into trailers, someone asked, “What should we do with all this wood?”  A few suggestions like, “Take it to the landfill.” or “Let’s have a bonfire!” were offered.  One of the troop leaders, Wren Martin, then said, “With Thanksgiving approaching, why don’t we have a turkey pit?” 

The tradition was born when the Greer Dairy Farm graciously hosted the first turkey pit bringing this longtime Arizona way of cooking turkeys to South Gilbert.  Since that first Turkey Pit in 2008, the community service and visiting with friends and family around the fire the night before Thanksgiving has become a favorite for many.   

With the town of Gilbert's new home expansion in the last few years, land to do the pit became scarce. In 2021 we decided to build a permanent pit. We built the pit, with the generocity of a local Gilbert land owner, to provide a sustainable turkey pit for many years to come.