Imlay City’s Lloyd Miller purchases, gives away free turkeys
IMLAY CITY — Because of the generosity of a local man, more families will be enjoying a turkey-filled feast tomorrow who might not have otherwise found the space in their budget for the big bird.
For the second year in a row, Lloyd Miller purchased 100 turkeys to give to families in need. On Friday afternoon, he and school staff helped hand out 93 of the frozen birds from the Imlay City High School lobby.
“I know that some families can’t afford to have extra things this time of year,” Miller said of his decision to offer the giveaway.
Last year, his donated turkeys were given away as part of a food giveaway at the high school in early December. This time around, Miller aimed to get the birds to families in time for Thanksgiving.
So why choose turkey?
Lloyd Miller and Imlay City Schools Food Service Director Roxanne Pierce (left) help a family find the right-sized turkey for their needs during Friday’s giveaway at Imlay City High School.
“Turkeys can feed a lot of people and everybody likes poultry,” Miller said.
Growing up in a family of five kids, Miller said he remembers his mom utilizing every last piece of turkey from their holiday bird, including a “stick-to-your-ribs turkey gumbo” to stretch their food dollar.
“As kids we ate a lot of powdered milk and Spam so when we had something special on the table, it was a real treat,” Miller said.
Miller regularly gives of both his time and money for Imlay City students. He opens his pocket to ensure that kids can participate in special field trips or events if money is an issue for their families. Recently, he’s given towards the third grader’s annual trip to Lansing and the middle schooler’s visit to Comerica Park in Detroit. Additionally, he’s donated water and soil test kits and participated in water sampling activities at Lions Park, overseen by Imlay City Middle School science teacher Juliann Kent. In the Air Force, Miller worked as an environmental health and safety technician and enjoyed sharing his experience and knowledge with students.
“I will do anything I can to help out,” Miller said.
He and his wife, Debra, have one daughter, Natalie, who’s a sophomore at Imlay City High School.
