GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Before you pop a squat at the family table for some Thanksgiving dinner, you’ll want to get some exercise first with a good ol’ trot!
Hundreds of runners will be taking a jog at the 12th Annual Festival Foods Turkey Trot outside Lambeau Field. The Turkey Trot is a fantastic way to burn calories before devouring that pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day.
This energizing and fun event offers a 5 mile run and a 2 mile run/walk starting at 8:00 am at Johnsonville Tailgate Village. Plus, there is a Dog Jog, a separate group for just dogs and their humans, that will start at approximately 8:15 am. All participants receive a long sleeve t-shirt and a personal size “Upper Crust” pie.
“The same faces you see year after year who love being here and that’s really been a great start to the holiday,” says Eric Vanden Heuvel, Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay. “For our organization, it goes right back to the kids. We have over 4,000 members. 500 kids attend our facilities every single day and it really goes to our staffing and the supplies to provide programming for those youth out of school.”
Before these runners gather over a Thanksgiving meal, it was first time to get in on a good ol’ trot. Runners of all shapes and sizes showed up for the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot, enduring the brisk chill for a good cause.
With proceeds going toward the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Green Bay and YMCA, plenty had good reason to show up.
“My daughter’s a runner and I had open heart surgery in July,” said Darrell Naze from Suamico. “I thought it’d be best that I keep doing the exercises and stay in shape so that’s why I’m here.”
“I have a bet with my family that I can complete it in under 50 minutes,” said Jocelyn Blahnik from De Pere.
Sofie Asibinac from Howard added, “And there’s money involved.”
But no matter the motivation, there’s one thing they all share in common.
“We can bring our dog along and we can bring the neighbor, we can bring our cousins, aunts, uncles and everybody because there’s a little something for everybody,” said Toni Jaeckels, Race Director for the 12th Annual Green Bay Turkey Trot.
You can find more information online at the Turkey Trot website right here.
