Thanks for Another Great Year!
By Admin In Turkey Trot On December 01, 2014
Turkey Trot 35 …
We started our Turkey Trot 35 years ago as just a fun event inviting a few friends and clients. Running was a pretty popular activity and who even thought about knees? My two Sons have grown up only knowing Thanksgiving dinner follows the Turkey Trot. Pretty cool that there are now third generation trotters. Grreat to see the familiar faces (Joe Abate did you finally miss a Turkey Trot?).
It is just TERRIFIC that ~ $22,000 of generous donations will be going to AZ diabetic children. Thank you Thank You !!!!
How many participated ? Uh, … about 400? Well, we really don’t know but the beer was all gone.
There are no expenses taken out of the donations. Some Sponsors do directly donate some of the necessary items including Whitneybell Perry and Terrascape Civil. Saeco provided the much appreciated Porta-Potty. Jay Duimstra’s Sun Rentals donates the Ryder truck. SRP grants permission to use the canal bank. We appreciate the use of the Lutheran Church parking lot.
Largest group of volunteers is from the Diabetes Association supporters. There are about 20 of them assisting with safety at the street crossings. We wouldn’t be able to continue without their most important help.
Sheriff deputies have been hired to assist crossing at the major streets. They are grreat!
We have hired Surf and Ski for 35 years to print the TTTT-shirts (Terrific Turkey Trot T-shirts). We provide the artwork which they often enhance and they respond with excellent work on a moment’s notice.
For 25 years our most generous and hardworking volunteer has been Steve Lopez. He starts working on the event weeks before T-Day and you see Steve and wife still working at the end. At mid-90 Joan Kolesar was again handing out the muffins. Son James takes off work on Wed to gather the goodies and equipment. You see him multi-tasking at the finish.
Largest donation this year $2,500 and three years ago friend Linda Gunther bequeathed the Turkey Trot $14,000!
Started accepting donations the 4th year of the event ~ $1,000 that year. Picked diabetes as the recipient because a person 
in our office had diabetes. At that time we had thought of yearly selecting a different charity recipient. As we learned more it was clear that we were totally committed to AZ diabetic kids.
It’s been 35 safe TT years during which two kids have ridden their bikes into the canal. Alert Dad & Uncle hauled them safely out.
Several years ago Kim Miller went into labor after completing the Turkey Trot (any more questions about the “stronger gender”??) her daughter Morgan turned 22 at this year’s trot.
Cumulative total is now ~ $525,000. @ $23,750 / yr = 20 more years to reach $1,000,000.
Many Thanks for the support and friendship !! See ya 2034 at TT 55 !!!
-Doug
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