The Salvation Army is asking residents for donations of turkeys to supplement the Thanksgiving food boxes and Thanksgiving homeless meal. The number of people needing help has continued to escalate. Meanwhile, the company that used to donate turkeys, HoneySuckle White, pulled out of the Florida market and will not be donating them this season.

If you can help, the Salvation Army is accepting turkeys purchased from local supermarkets or cash donations to purchase turkeys. Deliver your purchased turkey to The Salvation Army Towers Memorial Social Services Center, 900 W. Adams St., (904) 301-4780.

To make a cash donation, call (904) 301-4855 or mail your donation to The Salvation Army of NE Florida, P. O. Box 52508, Jacksonville, FL 32201-2508, attn. Turkey Donation.

Unit recognized for Iraq deployment

Nearly 30 soldiers with the Florida National Guard’s 1153rd Financial Management Detachment were recognized in a Wednesday ceremony for their upcoming deployment to Iraq, the Guard announced.

The unit will provide financial assistance to troops operating at forward operating bases near Baghdad. It will be most of the soldiers’ first overseas deployment, the Guard said in a news release.

Wednesday’s ceremony was held in St. Augustine, where the Florida National Guard is headquartered. The military did not give a precise date for the unit’s departure.

Wounded Warriors given $2.5M grant

The Jacksonville-based Wounded Warrior Project will be awarded a five-year, $2.5 million grant by Raytheon Corp., the Waltham, Mass., defense company announced on its website Thursday.

The company also announced that another firm, Cisco Systems, will continue its ongoing commitment to the nonprofit organization with technology for new virtual training program for wounded military personnel.

"Combined, these programs will facilitate the ability of wounded servicemen and women to successfully re-enter the workplace with new skills for the IT and cybersecurity markets," Raytheon said in its announcement.

The Wounded Warrior Project seeks public support for programs designed to meet the varied needs of injured service members. Visit www. woundedwarriorproject.org to learn more about the organization.

Dancing benefit for daughters, dads

Girls Inc. of Jacksonville hosts a Daddy Daughter Dance from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Renaissance Resort at the World Golf Village.

Girls Inc. wants 500 fathers and daughters at the fall dance, which is $80 per father/daughter couple and $30 for additional daughters, including dinner and dessert, music, photographs, silent auction and raffle prizes.

Girls Inc.'s Spring Daddy Daughter Dance last year raised more than $37,000 for the agency to support its after-school, summer and outreach programming for girls age 5 to 18 in Northeast Florida.

For more information, visit girlsincjax.org/news/dance.

CLAY COUNTY

Koi on display, for sale at annual fall show

The multicolored shapes of ornamental koi will be on display at the 22nd annual Fall Koi Show, Saturday and Sunday at the Orange Park Town Hall Park, 2042 Park Ave. in Orange Park.

The free show will include displays of the fish famed for their multicolored shapes, koi for sale and supplies to maintain a koi pond or tanks, all sponsored by the North Florida Koi Club. Admission is free to the show, which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Koi from clubs in Florida and Georgia will be judged by Associated Koi Clubs of America judges. Vendors will have plants, pond equipment and other items.

For more information, log onto nfkc.info.