RSVP for Your 2026 Turkey Pit Spot!

1. Reserve Your Spot

Every Thanksgiving eve, our church youth cook your turkey (or meat of choice) overnight in a traditional pit, so you wake up to the most tender, juicy turkey you've ever tasted, hot and ready for your table.

How it works: Drop off your prepared turkey on Thanksgiving eve. We slow roast it in our pit all night. Pick it up Thanksgiving morning, ready to serve.

Why it matters: Every dollar of your donation goes directly to the young men and women of our church, funding camp outings, equipment, and activities throughout the year. For many families in Gilbert, this has become a cherished Thanksgiving tradition, and it's one of the ways our youth earn their fun year after year.

Space is limited. Reserve your spot today.

Thank you for your generosity!

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

Drop off – Wednesday, 11/25 between 5pm – 8pm in the parking lot of the church, located on the southwest corner of Higley and Ocotillo.

Stay – While you're in the parking lot, please join us for some food, fun and community gathering! 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, 11/26 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 young men of Boy Scout Troop 82 wanted to serve their Chandler Heights neighbors in a meaningful way. They noticed how many dead citrus trees were scattered around the area, so they went door to door offering to cut and clear them. The response was overwhelming, and many neighbors commented on how impressed they were by how hard the boys worked.

Soon the trailers were full of wood, and someone asked, "What should we do with all of this?" Suggestions ranged from hauling it to the landfill to throwing a bonfire. Then troop leader Wren Martin said, "With Thanksgiving approaching, why don't we have a turkey pit?"

That idea became a tradition. Greer Dairy Farm graciously hosted the first Turkey Pit, bringing this longtime Arizona way of cooking turkeys to South Gilbert. Since 2008, gathering around the fire with friends and family on the night before Thanksgiving has become a favorite for many in our community.

As new homes spread across Gilbert, land for the pit became harder to find. In 2021, thanks to the generosity of a local landowner, we built a permanent pit, ensuring this tradition can continue for many years to come.