Elgin's Turkey Trot to benefit food pantries

Elgin's Gifford Park Association will give Fox Valley residents a chance to show their benevolence and get in shape for their holiday feasts by hosting a Thanks A Lot! Turkey Trot 5K Fun Run and Walk on Thanksgiving Day.

Along with strong legs and warm clothing, runners are asked to bring with them nonperishable food items which will be donated to the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Elgin's First Congregational Church Food Pantry.

“Prizes will not be given to the race's winners, but they will be given to the top three runners who bring the most food,” said Amanda Carlson, one of the race's coordinators.

She and her neighbors decided to hold the run on Thursday, Nov. 25 to give area runners company when they go for their holiday jogs. Collecting food will help them give back to community and help pantry volunteers stock their shelves for the holidays when demand traditionally increases.

The run will start at 8 a.m. in Gifford Park, along DuPage and Laurel streets. It is limited to 500 runners.

“Thanksgiving is a day when many families host out-of-town relatives who are runners themselves,” Carlson said. “They are invited to bring them along.”

Organizers planned the race's route through Elgin's historic Gifford Park neighborhood where many homes are around 100 years old.

“We're proud of our neighborhood, and we want to show it off,” Carlson said. “It's one of the city's earliest neighborhoods. The homes have so much character; their styles reflect the periods when they were built.”

The Gifford Park Association will use the proceeds from the race to continue restoring the homes to their original style.

The fee for runners who register before Thursday, Nov. 18 is $25. On the day of the run, the registration fee is $40. Preregistration will be accepted online at Raceit.com. Click on the search tab and follow the prompts. Registration will begin at 6:30 a.m. the day of the race.

For information, send Carlson an e-mail at abcarlson80@hotmail.com.