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New Paltz Turkey Trot brings together fun and fund raising for Thanksgiving
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Voluntter at the 2008 New Paltz Turkey Trot
The New Paltz Turkey Trot is an annual five kilometer walk/run on and near the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail which benefits Family of New Paltz, helping fund programs throughout the year. First run the 2004, the Turkey Trot had about a thousand runners last year, according to Family's programming director Kathy Cartagena.
“When Suzanne Holt first came to me with the idea, I said 'no,'” Cartagena said, “because we didn't have anyone to spare to organize an event of that size. But she and Dawn Tomasi have organized the whole thing every year, and it's become our biggest fund raiser of the year.” Family is a part of the larger Family of Woodstock, which was created in the wake of the music festival of the same name. The Great Recession has taxed its food banks as funding sources have dried up even as the needs of the community have grown. “We've gotten $12,000 in sponsorships this year, and people are still calling,” Cartagena added. “The outpouring of support has been just incredible.”
Among this year's sponsors is the Shawangunk Running Company, which is providing chip timers for the runners. These small devices attach to the runner's shoe and provide for more accurate time keeping than in past years. In addition to the money provided by the sponsors, the entry fees of the runners also go directly to helping fill the food pantry and funding other programs. T-shirts are provided to volunteers and entrants who register by November 12, but Family is able to obtain the shirts at cost. The T-shirt design each year is determined by a contest, which this year was opened up to children as old as eighteen.
The run, which is held on Thanksgiving morning at 9:30, starts at the Water Street Market, winds down Plains Road, and returns up the Rail Trail. Numerous volunteers, including local Scouts, are already committed, but Cartagena says that more are always needed. “If you haven't seen it, you can't imagine what a thousand runners looks like,” she remarked. In addition to the formal 5K Turkey Trot, there is a shorter Mashed Potato Run which is free for children, and a costume contest for the runners.
Cartagena invites interested people to share the registration form with friends, and reminds the public that T-shirts are only promised to those who register by November 12. Forms are available online by clicking here, and may also be picked up at the Family office, which is located at 51 North Chestnut Street. More information is available at the New Paltz Turkey Trot website.
“People tell me that they love the Trot because they use it to meet up with old friends that they only see once a year,” Cartagena said with a smile.
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