'Turkey Hop' Combines Fun, Charity

Mike Murphy knows people.  

As a longtime resident of the South Bay, a Los Angeles County lifeguard, an educational therapist, and a world traveler, Murphy has amassed a few friends over the years.

As it so happened, getting all his friends together in one place became a problem when Murphy was younger.

In Murphy's mind though, the solution was simple.  When everyone came home from college during Thanksgiving break, Murphy would plan a bar crawl to various South Bay bars on the Friday after Thanksgiving. About 10 friends would gather and cruise to various establishments in a typical bar crawl fashion.

However, Murphy saw more potential for the event. 

Now in its eleventh year, Mike Murphy's "Turkey Hop" bar crawl has evolved from a simple get together of a few friends into a charitable event that attracts anywhere from 50-80 people.

It has become an event that has benefited causes ranging from holiday toy drives to inner-city schools in Los Angeles. During one year's Turkey Hop alone, participants donated more than $6,000 to help a young girl suffering from lymphoma.

"Everyone that shows up feels like they are doing something positive and having fun," said Murphy before the start of this year's Turkey Hop. "It gets people feeling that much better about partying... You feel like you are actually doing something good," he said.

The event has a loyal following of friends, family, and people who know Murphy in some form or another. 

"Mike is the conduit," said longtime friend and Turkey Hop regular R.J. Smith.  "It is a tradition," he said.

This year's Turkey Hop helped collected playground balls for kids at underprivileged schools in south Los Angeles after Murphy's mom, Diana Murphy, found that there was only one ball for more than 30 children at one playground she visited.

"I thought, this is sad," said Diana Murphy, who works for PLACE Corps, an organization that helps underprivileged Catholic schools in Los Angeles. So, Mike Murphy told this year's guests: "If you can bounce it, kick it, catch it, or throw it, bring it."

On average, Mike Murphy says that the Turkey Hop results in about three full cardboard trash bins full of toys.  

In addition to helping kids through toy donations, Murphy also strongly believes in building community in a town he grew up in.  The Turkey Hop, he said, is just one way to accomplish that goal.

"It is all about trying to get people to know each other and make the world a smaller place.  The smaller it is and the more people you know, the more accountable everyone becomes," said Murphy.

After travelling the world, sometimes in four to five month stints, Murphy has made Redondo his home. According to his mother, it took some traveling for Murphy to realize where he needed to be.

"He travelled all around the world and he came to the realization that really what he needed to do was be back at home and to use whatever he had to make the best of the community and not be looking for community any other place," said Diana Murphy.