The vanguard of the Turkey Trot barely touches Minden's damp streets on Thanksgiving morning.
Photo by Kurt Hildebrand.
A drizzly Thanksgiving morning saw more than 500 runners participate in the seventh annual Turkey Trot on Thursday.
As of Wednesday morning, sign-ups for the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot topped 500.
“The Turkey Trot is an essential event for both the Food Closet and DAWG,” said Food Closet Director Sarah Sanchez. “Given the substantial increase in demand we’re experiencing at the Food Closet, with client numbers doubling in the past year, coupled with reductions in pandemic-era benefits such as Pandemic EBT and decreases in federal food distribution, the Turkey Trot be-comes a vital fundraising opportunity. We are in the midst of serving more with less.”
Almost a tenth of the runners in the Turkey Trot have four legs and a tail.
“DAWG has multiple programs that we use to help the animals and the residents in Douglas County,” former President Lori Paxson said. “We spent over $207,000 in Douglas County in 2022. Helping spay and neuters, helping low-income people pay their medical bills for animals.”
Paxson said the fundraiser helps promote those programs to better the lives of animals in Douglas County.
The Trot is more than a fundraiser, Sanchez said.
“It serves as a strategic avenue for sustaining our organizations, fostering community connections, and amplifying outreach efforts for lasting positive change,” she said.
For more information, visit www.thefoodcloset.org
