The Turkey Trot – Version 15.0 – 2025

Yep, we’ve been doing this sucker for FIFTEEN YEARS. And when I say “we,” I mean the wonder turkey trot team. I’m waiting for that picture and will come back and post it as soon as I get it…these guys and my sister in law who wrangles them all together really do rock.

It’s always so much work. For everyone involved. And each year I think they wonder: is this worth it!??

But then race day comes along and that whole area fills up with families all glowing with morning slanty-sun halos.

And I think then they think, yes. Yes, we could do this. ALL this again next year.

I mean, come on, look how fun some of these get-ups are:

Turkey Trot Prep

Ok but let’s back up to before the big day. Ok, and LOTS of days before that with all the planning and getting ready hoopla that I don’t have pictures of.

But my pictures start with the part where my brother-in-law and his kids paint three coats of white on these boards for us to cover all the “thankfuls” from the year before:

Bless their hearts.

Grace usually is the one who writes the “I Am Thankful For” on that thing…this time late at night:

And then the guys come lug it over to set it up for bright and early the next morning.

Bless all their hearts again.

Turkey Trot Packet Pick-Up

Also the day before is the Turkey Trot packet pick-up.

These girls manned one of the lines this year…with the “help,” on and off, of some of their favorite babies:

I love this duo more than I can say.

Home to prep for all the table settings and cooking and cleaning at home…I’m mad I didn’t get a picture before this late-night one with so many things spilling off that counter waiting to be done.

Two favorite things?

Claire helping Lucy read lots of things while she annotated on her computer to catch up in some college classes.

Heart-melter right there.

AND an idea from a friend to help adult kids know what jobs need to be done to help for the next day.

They can just take the ones they’re willing to do and make sure they get done.

The Big Day

And then, just like that, Thanksgiving was here.

I love watching the beginnings of the crowds start to gather.

And then swell to this:

I love how the Pothiers all come to support, clad in their “glasses” t-shirts. We are raising money to fight blindness, after all. And they are there for it!

The portion of this clan we could wrangle together for a photo:

I love that BrainFood creates the magic with the “snow.”

…and there are donuts lined up for what seems like miles.

Oh and Lucy’s friends gathered around? The BEST.

Love this wall too. So much to be grateful for!

This year I didn’t get to run…I was trying to help at the finish line and man our little booth area. But it was fun to skip over to the start line for a minute before the fun run. (first picture).

And then, just like that, it was over.

All the awards given out, all the hoopla dying down.

Everyone heading home to finish curating their Thanksgiving dinners.

And as it started to get quieter my heart was just so full of gratitude for all the work that went into this thing.

For all the money raised for the two charities we support.

For all the people who give so selflessly on Thanksgiving to put on this gig.

Here’s the “wall crew” before they took it down:

And just a tiny fraction of the post-race work to be done…trash to be transported, port-a-potties to be moved and whatever you do with those things. Tables and booths to be dismantled. All the start line and finish line and barricades situated. Phew!

Another year in the books.

Love that this girl, the one behind Families Fighting Blindness, was HOME for all the hoopla.

Next, on to Thanksgiving dinner.