Turkey Rock Trot annual Thanksgiving Day 5K race
Bring canned and non-perishable food items and run/walk in the ninth annual Turkey Rock Trot 5K race on Thanksgiving Day in Castle Rock.
Looking for a healthy and fun way to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner and help others? Sign up for the Douglas/Elbert Task Force’s ninth annual Turkey Rock Trot 5K race. This year’s race will be held on Thanksgiving Day, November 28 at Douglas County Fairgrounds Events Center, 500 Fairgrounds Drive, in Castle Rock.
The race is a local favorite and is open to runners/walkers of all ages (sorry, no dogs). The Castle Pines Connection is proud to be a sponsor of this year’s Rock Trot. Race participants are asked to bring canned and/or non-perishable food items to the event to help replenish the Task Force’s food banks. Race day registration is at 8:30 a.m. and the race starts at 9:30 a.m.
Turkey Rock Trot race director and longtime Task Force volunteer Holly Gorman said the race has grown from less than 500 participants to more than 1,700 participants in 2012. Last year’s race raised nearly $55,000 in proceeds and 355 pounds of food.
Some race participants try to embrace the Thanksgiving theme and dress accordingly in costume. “Members of the Castle View High School track team and the Castle Rock Rollers decked out head-to-toe in their costumes one year,” said Gorman. “If I remember right, a Castle View track team mom stayed up the night before the race making costumes for the team. Now that is dedication!”
This year’s event will include a continental breakfast, children’s scavenger hunt, and goodie bags for race participants.
The Task Force was founded in 1984 by several Castle Rock churches to create a centralized location to send people in need. According to Gorman, founders also wanted to encourage volunteerism by providing opportunities for congregation members to become directly involved with the needs of others within their communities.
Services offered by the Task Force include providing food and toiletries from two food banks, clothing and household items, housing and utilities assistance, emergency overnight lodging, a medical mobile van, and other services. The Task Force provided $1,050,024 in client assistance in 2012.
For more information about the Task Force, visit www.detaskforce.org. For more information about the Rock Trot or to register online, visit www.turkeyrocktrot.com.
