Medium Rare's 12th annual free turkey fry to be held at Nationals Park

Two institutions team up to make sure Thanksgiving goes as planned for many in the D.C. region. Medium Rare Restaurants is proud to announce it's partnering with the Washington Nationals for its 12th Annual Thanksgiving Day Turkey Fry.

Because of social distancing and occupancy guidelines, Medium Rare can't hold its iconic event as usual at one of its locations. Instead, the Nationals have generously provided the perfect location at the ballpark, assuring the tradition continues while allowing for all social distancing protocols to be followed.

The Turkey Fry was started in 2008 by Medium Rare co-owner Mark Bucher as a way to deep fry turkeys while keeping the public safe from the dangers of doing it at home. This year's move to Nats Park provides extra space and better logistics for the event. There's no charge for frying turkeys, but Medium Rare is encouraging participants to donate up to $25 per fried turkey to Bucher's "Feed the Fridge" initiative--which places refrigerators stocked with free and fresh meals across the DMV to help students and others facing food insecurity. The program is funded by We Care, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created by Mark Bucher. To donate to Feed the Fridge, participants can visit this GoFundMe page.

The first pitch into the deep fryer takes place at 8:00 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, at the Center Field Concourse adjacent to the C Garage. There will be eight fryers in all, accommodating up to 24 turkeys an hour. The event runs until 3:00 p.m. First come, first served reservations are available by signing up via SignUpGenius--with a limited number of walk ups allowed. Turkeys must be fully thawed and weigh between eight and 12 pounds. To accommodate for social distancing, the public will be allowed to drop off their turkeys, receive a claim check, and then park for free in Garage C until they are texted to return and pick up their golden fried bird. Like handling meals at the restaurant, or winning championships, it's all about teamwork between Medium Rare and the Nationals.

"Having the Nats partner up with us is a grand slam. It allows us to keep this amazing Washington tradition alive," said Medium Rare Co-Owner Mark Bucher. "And this year, with the pandemic exacerbating food insecurity, it's all the more important to use our annual Turkey Fry to raise funds to support our local community."

"Partnering with Medium Rare on their annual Turkey Fry is another new way in which we are activating Nationals Park as a civic asset during these difficult times," said Jonathan Stahl, Washington Nationals Vice President, Experience & Hospitality. "Medium Rare's commitment to the DMV community is impressive and we are proud to help enable them to fulfill this long-standing local Thanksgiving tradition."

About Medium Rare

Medium Rare is an award-winning, iconic steak frites full-service restaurant serving the Washington, D.C.-metro area since 2011.

About We Care, Inc.

We Care, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization helping to fund "Feed the Fridge," which provides daily meals to school children in and around Washington, D.C.

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