Wild Turkey and Matthew McConaughey Release Wild Turkey Gives Back Video

The people of Lawrenceburg, KY have a lot to be thankful for today. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, Wild Turkey Creative Director Matthew McConaughey spent his birthday going door to door in the hometown of Turkey to deliver a little holiday cheer. The award winning actor teamed up with the Bourbon brand and Butterball to deliver 4,500 turkeys to local residents and donate more than 500 turkeys to local food pantries.

Earlier this week, Wild Turkey released the Wild Turkey Gives Back video chronicling their efforts to feed the entire rural town. McConaughey, who serves as the brand’s Creative Director, celebrated his 48th birthday by making a surprise appearance at the Wild Turkey Distillery as Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell and an army of volunteers and distillery workers set out to say thanks to the small town that has been home to the distillery for more than a century.

“In one of our very first conversations, Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell told me that the town of Lawrenceburg is what keeps the Wild Turkey family running,” said McConaughey. “The support system in this community is amazing – in one form or another, everyone has some kind of relationship with Wild Turkey – and that’s why we were so grateful to have the resources to give back and say thanks to Lawrenceburg residents. We thought, let’s give everyone a turkey, one less thing for them to worry about this season.”

Following the pep speech, McConaughey and the volunteers set out in cars and buses with more than 60,000 pounds of turkey to canvas Lawrenceburg’s six square miles. Crews blanketed each neighborhood on foot from sun up until sun down, going door to door to drop off the frozen birds, delighting everyone along the way. Scores of residents opened their doors to find McConaughey on their porches, which elicited the kind of excitement you might expect when being surprised by an Oscar winner carrying a turkey.

“Lawrenceburg has been our home for generations, and the people who live here support our passion for making great whiskey every day,” said Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell.  “We wanted to say thanks to Lawrenceburg this Thanksgiving and to encourage people around the country to do what they can to assure no one goes hungry this holiday.”

In addition to the deliveries in Lawrenceburg, and in the spirit of giving back, Wild Turkey has also made a donation equaling 50,000 Thanksgiving meals to the anti-hunger organization Share Our Strength to help families in need across the country. Wild Turkey is encouraging fans to join them in their Friendsgiving to End Hunger campaign (strength.org/WildTurkey) to support those who could use a hand this holiday.  Fans can host a Friendsgiving fundraiser in their own hometown or make a donation to support Share Our Strength’s work to end hunger in America.

Caroline Paulus
Caroline Paulus is the Senior Editor for The Bourbon Review. She lives and writes in Lexington, Kentucky. Follow her on Instagram @misswhiskeyhistorian to keep up with her latest in bourbon news - and a few old finds, too.