“Going through a grocery line, especially on busy days like Thanksgiving, isn’t always fun, but one local Tucson man makes sure every person who goes through his lane, smiles.
Head to the Safeway on Ina and Oracle and it’s hard to miss Joe Encinas.
Thursday, he wore a felt turkey costume, complete with a beak and tail to work. His nametag read: “Turkey Buck Joe”. Checking out lane number four is nothing short of fun.
‘I do this to pick people’s spirits up. Sometimes, when they feel down, after they get done coming through my line, they feel so much happier,’ said Encinas. ‘There’s a lot of customers that come back because they know I’m here dressed up on the holidays.’
It’s not just Thanksgiving, Encinas dresses up for just about every holiday you can imagine—even a leprechaun on St. Patrick’s day, or the Grinch on Christmas and hands out gifts. He has the ‘holiday spirit.’
‘Joe’s great. He’s been here for many, many years. We love him,’ said John Leader, who shops at the Safeway. ‘It’s nice to have a little bit of humor with everything else that’s going on.’
‘When the holidays come around, Joe’s all in,’ said David Vangelder, who regularly shops at the Safeway.”
View the whole story here: https://www.kold.com/2020/11/26/turkey-buck-joe-brings-smiles-raises-money-charity/‘