Walk off some of that turkey and help out a good cause at the same time.
The Mount Vernon Turkey Trot 5K walk and run will be celebrating 14 years this year.
The event was organized by Jackie Morrical and Truman Jordan 14 years ago.
“While we were visiting my older sister, Jenny Jordan, in Elmhurst, Ill., on Thanksgiving, we participated a few years in a Turkey Trot there,” Morrical said. “When we determined we were going to be celebrating Thanksgiving in Mount Vernon in 2011, my father, Truman Jordan, and I decided we should do a Turkey Trot here in Mount Vernon. We pulled the event together in three days via Facebook and email.”
That first event had 40 participants and raised $800 plus some non-perishable food items for the Southeast Linn Community Center.
It’s popularity has grown over the years.
Last year, the event had 90 participants and raised $2,321 for Southeast Linn.
“That was our most participants and the highest amount raised to date,” Morrical said. “We are hoping for great weather for this year’s Turkey Trot Thursday, Nov. 28.”
Morrical said her favorite thing about the event is getting family, friends and new faces together on Thanksgiving to exercise and raise money for SELCC.
“It’s fun to see folks from in town and folks returning to town to celebrate Thanksgiving with their families participate,” Morrical said.
The route for the trot has been the same for the past few years. It starts at Wolfe Lane in northeast Mount Vernon and follows Sixth Street Northeast to the west across Hwy. 1 and up to Fifth Avenue North, where the route turns south. The route takes two more blocks west along Second Street Northwest to Seventh Avenue. e Northwest where it again heads south to First Street West. The route then proceeds west down First Street West to the corner of 10 Ave. S.W. where the route heads south to College Boulevard where it heads east along Fourth Street S.W. and again crosses Hwy. 1. The trail heads north on B Avenue S. to Third Street S.E. where it heads east. It heads north up the Nature Trail to Third Street Northeast were it then follows B Avenue Northeast back to Wolfe Lane.
“We have signs for each kilometer along the path to help guide folks and also have printed maps available the morning of the race for people who like them,” Morrical said.
Joining the race is as simple as writing a check or making a donation to Southeast Linn Community Center and showing up in the driveway of 405 Wolfe Lane by the 9 a.m. start time.
“Or folks can do the Turkey Trot on their own schedule and make a donation to Southeast Linn,” Morrical said.
Morrical said her sister, Joy Jordan, will be leading the event as she has every year.
“She is a great spokesperson and the runner in the family so starts off the group of runners with walkers behind,” Morrical said. “We’ve also had bikers in the past and pets are always welcome.”
Morrical said there were two years where the Morricals were unable to lead the hike, as they were in Chicago with the Marching Mustangs for their participation in the Thanksgiving Day parade.
“Casey O’Connor and Mark Krob hosted the event through the Mount Vernon Fire Department those years,” Morrical said. “In 2022, Matt siders and the folks at the Lester Buresh DFamily Community Wellness Center hosted the event in our absence.”