The founders of the St. George Basket Brigade—Krista Palmer, Brent Palmer, Janet Barton, Dani McNair, Jaylyn Theobald, and their mom, Gayle DeGraff—first volunteered at a Basket Brigade in Las Vegas back in November 2008.

Over dinner afterward, still moved by the joy of serving others, they realized something important: with so many families in need right here in Southern Utah, why not bring that same magic home? By the end of that meal, the St. George Basket Brigade was born.

That first year (2009), a team of incredible volunteers raised enough funds to provide 65 Thanksgiving baskets for local families. Today, the event has grown to deliver hundreds of baskets across Washington County every Thanksgiving. Each year, we also quietly serve a few families facing special challenges—offering them an extra helping of love and support at Christmastime.

In 2014, the Brigade was “adopted” by Jeremy Larkin and The Larkin Group (KW Realty), who brought their community network and passion for service to help feed even more families in need.

But the real magic? You have to experience it to understand. Every year, volunteers return from deliveries with full hearts, saying things like, “That was the greatest experience our family has ever had—can we please come back next year?”

When you see the faces of the families receiving these gifts, you witness pure gratitude—the comfort of knowing they’ve been remembered and loved this holiday season.

Please “give thanks” by giving a meal. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
— The Founding Board