Close to 2,000 participants, volunteers and onlookers started off their Thanksgiving morning with family and friends at the ninth annual Thanksgiving Day Trot Against Poverty 5K Run/Walk, to benefit United Against Poverty (UP, for short). Affectionately known as the Turkey Trot, the event has become a beloved Thanksgiving tradition, uniting as a community to help brighten the lives of fellow residents who are less fortunate. Organizers expected that the event would fund roughly 54,000 meals.
This year’s bright yellow event T-shirts were like brilliant rays of sunshine against the cloudy morning, as parents and grandparents herded their little ones into place for the start of the children’s quarter-mile fun run to the Memorial Island Bridge and back. Onlookers waved and cheered as adorable youngsters gave it their all. They later proudly showed off their participation medals.
A record 1,600 runners and walkers, many accompanied by their four-legged companions, participated in the adult race, with awards presented to the top three in each category. The festive family affair draws runners from all over the United States, from infants pushed in the stroller division to seniors keeping pace with participants half their age.
Quite a few wore Thanksgiving-themed outfits and hats, with one man even getting a jump on Christmas with reindeer ears and Rudolph’s red nose. Chris Loy, visiting from Gainesville, ran unencumbered by his full turkey outfit, impressively placing third overall.
Janet and Terry Silvester drove all the way over from Fort Walton Beach, enjoying a family reunion with their Virginia-based son Scott, who has a condo at The Moorings. Four grandchildren also participated – Scott’s two children and another two visiting grandchildren from New York.
“The kids are the fourth generation coming here,” said Janet Silvester. “My dad started coming in 1974 and we’ve been coming ever since. Vero Beach is just our favorite place to come.”
As people gathered behind the start line, emcee Hamp Elliott of 93.7 The Breeze spoke briefly about United Against Poverty and its mission to transform lives by giving those who need it a hand up, not a handout. “All people who are in that situation want to get out of it as soon as possible,” stressed Elliott.
“Thanksgiving is one of the most important times of the year for thinking about our neighbors and giving back,” said UP founder Austin Hunt. “It’s become a family tradition.”
About 20 members of the Vero Beach Amateur Radio Club volunteered at 16 stations along the course route. “We monitor for safety and to give direction,” explained Earl Krueger. “It’s good practice for us for hurricanes and disasters.”
The yummy reward for participants and volunteers alike was a delicious breakfast of cinnamon-scented sweet potato pancakes and sausage prepared on the spot by Catering by Adrienne Drew. Drew and her fast-flipping crew postponed their own Thanksgiving to prepare 2,200 sausage links and 2,000 pancakes from gallons of batter prepared by Marsh Landing.
“We started at 4 this morning at the shop and about 5:30 here,” said Drew. “And we have four parties tonight; it just keeps going.”
New this year were two large “gratitude boards” – one with information about all the lives being positively impacted by United Against Poverty, and one where participants could write their own messages of thanks.
“We’re going to keep them in the center,” said Annabel Robertson, UP executive director. “It gives us an opportunity to show our gratitude for all the community does for us.”