United Against Poverty Turkey Trot 5K [Photo: Denise Ritchie]

More than 2,200 runners and walkers, plenty of four-legged companions and easily another 1,000 volunteers and onlookers started off their Thanksgiving morning at the 12th annual Thanksgiving Day Trot Against Poverty 5K Run/Walk at Riverside Park to benefit United Against Poverty (UP).

George E. Warren was again the presenting sponsor of the affectionately named Turkey Trot, a beloved tradition that unites the community in an effort to help brighten the lives of fellow residents who are less fortunate.

The festive family affair draws runners from all over the United States, from infants in a stroller division to seniors keeping pace with participants half their age. Many were in town to enjoy Thanksgiving with their Vero Beach families, and the gorgeous weather was an added bonus, especially for those visiting from stormy northern climes.

Prior to the start of the main race, parents and grandparents herded their eager little ones into place for a children’s quarter-mile fun run to the Memorial Island Bridge and back, cheered on with encouragement along the way.

The yummy reward for everyone getting up early on a Thanksgiving morn was a delicious breakfast of cinnamon-scented sweet potato pancakes and sausage. Nicole Capobianco and Jimbo Carroll, owners of Niki & Jimbo’s Roadhouse, stepped up to the grill this year to flip roughly 40 gallons of pancake mix donated by Marsh Landing and sizzle up more than 3,000 sausage links donated by Angela & Nick Novak, owners of Southern Social and Filthy’s.

Michelle Griffith and her CenterState Bank team returned to serve up the delicious fare, under the watchful eye of an enormous 25-foot tall ‘Trotting Tom’ turkey, sponsored by Dyer Auto.

To encourage team and individual fundraising, a new Run for Pie initiative was instituted this year. Walmart Bakery donated 100 pies which were given out to anyone who raised more than $100. There were also awards to the top team and individual fundraisers; Lift Fitness, with its team of 52 runners, and Phillip Keeling, respectively.

“It is such an exciting time for us, because this 12th annual Turkey Trot is sort of welcoming our transition into our new building,” said Annabel Robertson, UP executive director. She added that they will soon receive their certificate of occupancy for the building, which is scheduled to have its grand opening on Jan. 25.

“The new building is 46,000 square feet, and it will include our Membership Grocery program, nine co-located partnership organizations and a medical clinic. Our goal is to be a resource for people in the community to access services and help them move forward to reach the goals they want for themselves and their families; economic, employment and education,” said Robertson.

“The new center will have an expanded health, wellness and nutrition program. It will also have an expanded business entrepreneurial training program. We’re really excited that there will be 27 community partners teaching in the space, as well as the nine that are co-located. We really believe that this is going to be a true example of collaboration.”

The overall race winner was Caleb Pottorff at 14:45, and the first-place woman was Melinda Dubose at 18:45.

For more information, visit upirc.org.