A Pennsauken nonprofit that keeps a collection box at Cherry Hill's Parks Department is recruiting team captains for a $40,000 Thanksgiving turkey drive across South Jersey.

The Food Bank of South Jersey opened its 2026 Turkey Bowl on Thursday, Oct. 1, launching a friendly fundraising competition. The goal is $40,000. Teams have until Saturday, Oct. 31, to raise enough for a truckload of turkeys and holiday fixings for South Jersey families.

The food bank says turkeys cost 60% more in 2026. The USDA raised its turkey price forecast in August, and food-at-home prices were 2.7% higher in July 2026 than a year earlier, according to Yahoo Finance citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The Turkey Bowl works like a virtual food drive. Coworkers, classmates, neighbors or any group of friendly rivals form a team, pick a captain and raise money before the deadline. Details and sign-up information are on the food bank's Turkey Bowl page.

The food bank, the region's largest emergency food distributor, serves Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. It distributed nearly 20.7 million meals in 2025 through more than 300 community partners and reaches more than 189,000 people each month, according to a June 2026 press release.

Cherry Hill residents already have a direct tie to the organization. Camden County's food security page lists a Food Bank of South Jersey collection box at the Parks Department, 1301 Park Blvd. Across New Jersey, about 1 in 9 people face food insecurity, including 1 in 7 children, according to Feeding America data cited by the county.

Food Bank President and CEO Jane Asselta has emphasized the role community support plays in the organization's work. At the nonprofit's Chop Hunger culinary fundraiser in June, Asselta said, "South Jersey shows up for its neighbors … That spirit of generosity is what has sustained this organization for 40 years and will carry us forward."

Teams can sign up on the food bank's Turkey Bowl page.