Happy Cow hopes to collect more than 600 turkeys for Thanksgiving

For 10 years, Calise Houle has participated in a turkey drive ahead of Thanksgiving to benefit St. Vincent de Paul Society in Laconia. She’s the owner of Happy Cow Ice Cream Shop on Union Avenue, and keeps the shop open specifically to make use of its large freezers, fit to hold hundreds of birds. “Last year, we collected 600 turkeys,” Houle said on Monday morning. “I think we’ll beat that this year.” They play an important role in the turkey drive, serving as a storage and delivery mechanism. They’ll be accepting turkeys through Thursday, Nov. 20. Volunteers from St. Vincent de Paul then procure and dispense about 800 baskets full of ingredients for Thanksgiving meals to families in the Lakes Region. “It’s grown every year and it’s kind of crazy,” Houle said. Those who donate the traditional bird receive free ice cream. “Some families bring in four or five,” she said. Most grocery stores limit purchases of turkeys to two per customer during the holidays, Houle said, so a coordinated collection effort can go a long way. She hopes that by making it easy and fun to participate in the drive, others in the community may be encouraged to do so. “We can get more for people’s money,” she said. On Monday, travel agent Michelle Whitney, owner of Simply Epic Travel, presented Houle with a $275 check. Houle will use those funds to purchase even more turkeys and, after the drive ends on Thursday, she’ll truck the birds over to St. Vincent de Paul. Whitney has been participating in the turkey drive for years, probably since its inception. “I’m supporting her, because she’s supported so many local businesses since she started,” Whitney said Monday morning.

— Gabriel Perry