Tuscaloosa native Tim Anderson's nonprofit will give away 205 turkeys

Jasmine Hollie, Tuscaloosa News
·2 min read

Tim Anderson, a Tuscaloosa native who plays Major League Baseball, will give away 205 free turkeys next week in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday.

The sixth annual Anderson Homeplate Turkey Drive will be from 4-6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Hillcrest High School, 300 Patriot Parkway.  Turkeys, as well as other giveaway items, will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is open to the public.

More: Where to eat out on Thanksgiving Day in Tuscaloosa

The turkey drive will be hosted by Anderson's League of Leaders, a nonprofit organization that aspires to build leadership characteristics in youth who are affected by violence.

Anderson, a free agent who played for the Chicago White Sox for eight years, founded Anderson's League of Leaders in 2017. Even though he now resides in Chicago, he often gives back to the Tuscaloosa community and his alma mater, Hillcrest High School.

Tim Anderson, a Major League Baseball player with the Chicago White Sox and a graduate of Hillcrest High in Tuscaloosa County, gave away 205 turkeys at the school Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, through his charity, Anderson's League of Leaders. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]
Tim Anderson, a Major League Baseball player with the Chicago White Sox and a graduate of Hillcrest High in Tuscaloosa County, gave away 205 turkeys at the school Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, through his charity, Anderson's League of Leaders. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]

Previously, Tim Anderson's wife, Bria Anderson said Tim Anderson believes it's important to reach out to today's youth in Tuscaloosa since he believes there weren't enough positive influences in the community while he was growing up.

"I think that's a really big part of like, why he's so passionate about still keeping his roots back in Tuscaloosa," Bria Anderson told the Tuscaloosa News in 2021.

Tim Anderson was inspired to start Anderson's League of Leaders after the shooting death of 23-year-old Branden Moss, his hometown friend, in 2017, according to Bria Anderson.

Moss was shot and killed while trying to mediate a fight that broke out in the parking lot across the street from the now permanently closed 3000 Bar in Tuscaloosa, formerly on Paul W. Bryant Drive, according to reports from the Tuscaloosa County Metro Homicide Unit.

Tim Anderson, a Major League Baseball player with the Chicago White Sox and a graduate of Hillcrest High in Tuscaloosa County, sits on the gate of a truck containing 205 turkeys at the school Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021. Anderson gave away the birds to help with Thanksgiving meals through his charity, Anderson's League of Leaders. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.]

Moss was well-liked and respected by many members of the community, according to media reports at the time.

After the fatal shooting, Tim Anderson created the Anderson's League of Leaders  to continue Moss' legacy of community-mindedness, Bria Anderson said.

Reach Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Tuscaloosa native Tim Anderson's nonprofit will give away 205 turkeys