On Christmas Eve, the 16th annual Costco Chicken Brigade brought holiday warmth to families at the Southeast Seattle Service Center on South Holly Street and Rainier Avenue. Volunteers delivered 125 hot Costco roasted chickens and fresh pastries, providing a festive meal to those in need.
Volunteers (from left): Jerry Lee, Nelson Nakata, Takayo Minakami Ederer, SESSC Excutive Director Katie Parker, Lothar Ederer, King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci, and Fred Brown with roasted chickens. (Photo from Quinn Lee)
The giveaway was part of the brigade’s ongoing holiday efforts, which also included an event on Dec. 18 at the Asian Counseling and Referral Service food bank in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District (CID). Over 450 hot chickens, rice congee provided by Tai Tung Restaurant, and toys were distributed to food bank recipients. The CID event drew more than 25 volunteers, including representatives from MG2, Cathay Post #186, Boy Scouts Troop #254, Seattle Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Tai Tung Restaurant, and Rick Rizzs’s Toys for Kids program.
Volunteers (from left): Cathay Post #186 Tony Chinn, Scoutmaster Troop #254 Tim Louie, Judge Park Eng, former Seattle Supersonic NBA Champion Fred Brown, Wells Fargo CEO Mary Knell, CACA member Richard Huie, and CACA President Kevin at ACRS food bank on Weller Street. (Photo from Kent Wong)
The Costco Chicken Brigade was founded in 2009 by Cordell Lui and Jerry Lee, who were inspired during a dim sum lunch in the CID. By the end of that meal, they had rallied friends to donate over 400 Costco roasted chickens.
Fred Brown and Jerry Lee with large pot of chicken rice congee provided by Tai Tung Restaurant for food bank recipients. (Photo from Kent Wong)
Since then, the initiative has grown into a cherished holiday tradition, delivering hot meals and kindness during Thanksgiving and Christmas.