TV stars joined screen legend Kirk Douglas and his wife Anne Wednesday to serve an early Thanksgiving Dinner to thousands of homeless people in Los Angeles. The 95 year-old Douglas -- who lived in poverty as a child -- hosted the event for the seventh year in a row on behalf of the Los Angeles Mission, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
The Douglases, who have supported the nonprofit for decades, were joined at the event by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and celebrities including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kim Kardashian, Blair Underwood and Zoe Saldana.
Organizers told the AP they served an estimated 3,000 lbs of turkey, 700 lbs of mashed potatoes, 800 lbs of green beans, 80 gallons of gravy and 600 pies. "What goes into this meal? A lot of love," Chef Dave Thomas told CBS Local News.
According to 'The Daily Telegraph,' over the years the Douglases have been generous benefactors, paying for numerous programs including renovations and a women's center. LA Mission President, Herb Smith, said "Mr Douglas, his father was a ragman, he knows what it's like to be on the street and to be hungry. When he first came to LA, he actually got meals at the Los Angeles Mission, before he was famous. And so, they understand the population that we work with, they have the heart for that."
After the event, Kardashian tweeted "Just left the LA Mission. Met so many kind hearted people! They're [sic] goal is to feed 120,000 people by the end of the yr! We fed so many today."
Love Hewitt agreed, tweeting "The Los angeles mission is a magical place! @kimkardashian is more beautiful inside and out! So fun."
