Naperville's Thanksgiving Turkey Trot grows into fun for families
Like a Thanksgiving table that keeps expanding with the family - a kids' table here for little Oakley, a high chair there for littler Caroline, a corner seat, too, for that left-handed in-law - the Naperville Noon Lions Turkey Trot 5K has done nothing but grow since it was established in 1998.
The race has grown in the number of runners and the number of dollars raised. It's grown in the number of volunteers needed and the ease of recruiting them. It's even grown in the number of turkey costumes worn, which, unscientifically, is now estimated at A LOT.
"More and more families are coming," Lions Club member Donna Kearney said. "Our younger age groups are continuing to grow. It's not just for serious runners."
In fact, the serious runners, who line up under the banner at the front of a pulsing mob along Hillside Road come close to finishing the entire course before the nonserious runners and run-walkers even begin.
"We just are so grateful that the community comes out to support us," Kearney said.
Support of paying turkey trotters, who can sign up for $40 until race day, helps the Lions Club distribute money to community causes in its four focus areas: vision, hearing, diabetes and youth.
Volunteers at the trot don't get paid, unlike those who sign up for shifts at events like Ribfest, who are given a portion of festival proceeds as a thank-you for their time. Still, volunteer coordinator and Lions Club member Ken Strugalla said he filled all 165 volunteer slots for five days worth of pre-race packet pickup by early October. Students from seven schools sign up each year to tally some of their required community service hours.
"I don't even have to ask them," Strugalla said about a group from Naperville Christian Academy that hosts the course's midrace water station. "We used to really go out and hunt for people."
Volunteering at the annual Thanksgiving morning 5K, which this year takes place at 8 a.m. on Hillside Road behind Naperville Central High School at 440 Aurora Ave., means waking up early, often braving the cold or even a misty sleet. It means time away from family on what's traditionally a family day.
"That's a lot of effort," Strugalla said, "on a holiday morning."
So some people volunteer as a family. Others do their good by donating. Belgio's Catering provides about 4,000 post-race breakfasts each year. Other restaurants feed packet pickup volunteers as they hand out race shirts and bib numbers.
Naperville Running Company turns its basement into packet pickup central and fields all calls with questions about when and how to claim racing gear.
"This town has a lot of community spirit," Strugalla said.
When the turkey-clad runners and others in shorts or tights and sweatshirts toe the line, the fun truly begins - even for the volunteers the Lions Club so admires. They get a front-row view to the happy emotions displayed by people doing something healthy ... before all the indulgences of the holidays.
"You hear nothing but 15 minutes of joy on the way out," Kearney said, recalling the scene at the starting line, "and a half-hour of joy - or more - on the way in."
Some say the course isn't the place to run a PR, a personal record, as the 3.1-mile run through central Naperville is too crowded. Last year, organizers sold a record high 7,947 race entries, although not all those runners showed up. This year, they're aiming for a record of 8,000.
Still, for anyone who does score a new fastest 5K, a feature that's new this year beckons. From the Naperville Fire Department, the Lions Club is borrowing a bell and turning it into The PR Bell, something racers can ring if their finishing time - like Thanksgiving itself - is cause for celebration.
If you go
What: 20th annual Naperville Noon Lions Turkey Trot 5K
When: 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 23
Where: Hillside Road behind Naperville Central High School, 440 Aurora Ave., Naperville
Who: Hosted by the Naperville Noon Lions Club to support vision, hearing, diabetes and youth-related causes; spots available for up to 8,000 runners
Cost: $40
Info: <a href="https://napervilleturkeytrot.com/index.php">https://napervilleturkeytrot.com/index.php</a> or (630) 364-3922