Thanksgiving Trot Against Poverty 5K draws record crowd

Bright and early on Thanksgiving morning, Riverside Park overflowed with at least 3,000 people, as participants, cheer squads, volunteers and supporters gathered for the 18th annual Thanksgiving Day Trot Against Poverty 5K to benefit United Against Poverty.

Some 2,750 registered runners, joggers and walkers of all ages took part in Vero’s favorite Thanksgiving tradition, eager to support those in our community who are less fortunate.

Prior to the main race, presented by Pur Health & Wellness, excited little ones made a mad dash in the Kids Run. Later as people began to return, they were treated to another tradition, the sweet potato pancake and sausage breakfast, watched over by the 25-foot Tom Turkey.

“It gets bigger and bigger every year. This was the historically highest registration,” said Allison Jackson, race director for the fifth year and UP development manager.

Thanksgiving actually came early for 400 families who had pre-registered for UP’s Hopeful Harvest. They picked up a full meal the Monday before that included a 13-pound turkey with all the traditional sides and a pie, for just $5 for a family of four.

“Cleveland Clinic sponsored the event for the second consecutive year, and they had a bunch of leadership and volunteers on site to help pack up and distribute,” said Matt Tanner, UP executive director.

United Against Poverty also stepped in when their clients and others were affected by the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefit disruption caused by the federal government shutdown earlier in November.

“We knew that this was really going to press our demographic and that it was going to be a challenge. Obviously, nobody knew how long this was going to last,” said Tanner.

Additionally, he said SNAP payments represent about 13 percent of monthly revenue to their Member Share Grocery.

“So we were simultaneously looking at a loss of revenue for us during a time when we were anticipating a huge spike in demand.”

Despite the unexpected nature of the problem, Tanner was proud of their creative solution, which was to provide up to 30 percent of a household’s regular monthly SNAP amount as vouchers to their Member Share Grocery.

From Nov. 3 to Nov. 14, they supported 372 households (355 adults, 412 children, 197 seniors, 16 veterans), providing them with a total of $47,330 in vouchers.

Tanner said they received fantastic support from Jeff Pickering, CEO of the Indian River Community Foundation, plus a strategic grant from the John’s Island Community Service League.

“So those two partners, in tandem with our team, were able to help these families cover the gap for 10 days,” said Tanner.

Additionally, another 257 people signed up for their Member Share Grocery program, which uses the same SNAP guideline of living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

Tanner said that the value of strong relationships and partnerships again showed its worth when faced with unforeseen situations, whether from disasters such as Hurricane Milton or hardships caused by the government.

“We trust and respect each other and we can devise a plan to support our community overnight, because we know what we’re capable of. I think this was another perfect example of that,” said Tanner.

Funds raised benefit United Against Poverty’s numerous programs and services. In addition to its Member Share Grocery, the nonprofit provides immediate support through its Crisis Stabilization program; job readiness through its Success Training Employment Program; and trades, construction and manufacturing skills training through its Build UP program.

For more information, visit UnitedAgainstPoverty.org.