Al Sharpton visits Augusta

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton helped distribute Thanksgiving turkeys to needy families in Augusta Monday.

It's an event that the late soul singer James Brown hosted annually until his death last year.

Sharpton and Brown were close friends. Brown died on Christmas Day last year of congestive heart failure.

Two of the soul singer's daughters, some of his grandchildren, and his widow, Tomi Rae Hynie Brown, joined Sharpton at the giveaway. The family has been embroiled in a court battle over Brown's estate, and there have been questions as to whether Tomi Rae Brown and James Brown were legally wed.

Sharpton, however, said today was a time to set those issues aside.

James Brown Enterprises has typically paid for about half of the 1000 turkeys distributed.

But the funding is currently tied up in the court case.

Family members say this year that they paid for their portion out of their own pockets, and used donations from churches and charitable organizations.

Comcast Cable donates funds for the other 500 turkeys each year.