Lots of local businesses support the military by offering discounts and incentives. But Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse Chief Executive Officer Dave Radcliffe went a step further recently with his support of Operation Turkey Drop.

During a Puyallup Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee meeting held at the store in Sumner last year, Eric Kantor, president of the Puyallup subchapter of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), asked Radcliffe if the store would be interested in helping out with AUSA's upcoming Operation Turkey Drop.

Radcliffe didn't hesitate to help. "I said, ‘of course,'" he said.

So armed with about 320 turkeys (100 of which were donated by the Old Cannery), Radcliffe, along with Carlene Joseph, president of the Capt. Meriwether Lewis Chapter of AUSA, and others, set out Nov. 16 to help bring Thanksgiving to Servicemembers and their families on Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Camp Murray.

AUSA, which has 11 subchapters and more than 1,000 members in the area, held a similar event in 2010, and a few weeks after the Turkey Drop hosted "Operation Ham Grenade," in which hams were donated to local military families. "Each year, we're able to distribute more turkeys and hams," Joseph said. "We have a very giving community."

Soldiers and Airmen from several units, including all of the Stryker Brigades, the 446th and 62nd Airlift Wings, I Corps and more were selected by their commanders to receive the turkeys. Most were lower enlisted, Joseph said.

In addition to the Old Cannery's substantial donation, Harborstone Credit Union; the Association of the Air Force, McChord Field Chapter; the Meriwether Lewis Chapter of AUSA; the Puyallup and Lacey subchapters of AUSA and individuals donated toward the cost of the turkeys, which were purchased at Wal-Mart.

"When you do things right, business happens," said Radcliffe, who is working toward becoming a member of both the Puyallup AUSA subchapter and the Puyallup Military Affairs Committee. "Our motivation is not that we will get more customers in our store. We're doing it because it's the right thing to do. It's who we are as a company."

Billed as "the fun furniture store," the Old Cannery Furniture Warehouse (13608-A Valley Avenue East, Sumner) caters to children both young and young at heart. "It's a real fun-oriented, kids' type of store," said Radcliffe. The store (voted King 5's Best of Western Washington for three years running) features more than seven miles of miniature railroads as well as interactive trains and animatronics. "It's like a little Disney World," he said. "We make it fun and the rest sort of happens."

For more information, visit www.oldcanneryfurniture.com.