The crisp air on Thanksgiving morning in Traverse City was once again filled with the sounds of running shoes and excited cheers as the annual Traverse City Turkey Trot took place. In the race, there is a 5 mile course that goes around Boardman lake or a 5k option that goes throughout downtown TC. This event saw hundreds of participants either running the course or dedicating their morning to volunteering. It has become a key part of holiday traditions for many families in Northern Michigan.  

  Emmet Duggar, a freshman, ran the 5 mile portion of the run; it is his second year doing the annual Turkey Trot. The course brings the runners around the Boardman lake. This year, it was a struggle for the runners due to snow and ice on roads the night before.

  “Oh man, they did not plow that course at all. It was like six inches of snow the entire time,” Duggar said.

  There were around 50 people in the 5 mile race. In some cases, runners enjoy running alone so they can stay focused rather than running with others.

  “I mean I’m on the cross country team so typically we will have some runs together but since the season’s over, I normally do runs by myself,” Duggar said.

   While students participate in this run, teachers or staff from West can also take a role in the race as well. Carl Edgren is a teacher at West and ran the 5k. He participated with his two kids, Declan, who is in the 4th grade, and Brooks, who is in the 2nd grade.

  “Oh, that race. It was me and two of my kids. We got there almost right when it started because it was a winter weather race and it was cold. And then we got there and everybody started to run,” Edgren said.

  Some people enjoy running and some people don’t. Edgren is one of the people who does not like running but did it to make his kids happy. This is a good example of doing good when nobody is watching.

“My kids, they got into running so then I went along so they could stay after the run,” Edgren said.

  Collin McCalley volunteered in this event and helped the community with a bib pick which is the number you get assigned for the race. He did this the day before the race took place. On Thanksgiving, he helped give out food, and water to the hard working runners.  

 “Well when I was doing the bib pick up, the first hour and a half was just non-stop people picking up packets and 1500 bibs were picked up in an hour and a half and there were only 8 people helping which was tricky,” McCalley said.

  For some people, it can be stressful to work in events like these because of the ongoing crowds of people coming and going. In the end, someone can learn a very valuable lesson about the true meaning of Thanksgiving and how it is not just about the food but also about the people that go out of their way to help others.

  “It was really fun. You get to meet a lot of people and it is definitely tricky at times but it’s good for you. And you’re giving back to the community and it’s overall just a good experience,” McCalley said.