The sun shone brightly on a cold Thanksgiving morning as community members arrived at NPE in their joggers and turkey hats to celebrate Thanksgiving in an annual turkey trot.
For seven years, the Delco Turkey Trot has been hosted at NPE to bring people together and make them smile.
“It’s amazing to see the community come together, to see so many people come out, and see people cheering and setting up their own extra water tables and have so many people come out and volunteer and help out and spend time with their families on Thanksgiving,” race co-director Mrs. Leah Hillmeyer said. “It’s awesome.”
This year, the event was marked with NPE students’ voices serenading the crowd with the National Anthem, and the “Tom the Turkey” mascot hyping the kids up for the trot.
“I love cheering people on and bringing them happiness and stuff,” mascot Mrs. Michelle Slaven said. “It just always warms my heart, and these kids are great.”
The main event was a 5K with participants ranging from high schoolers to parents with strollers and graduates visiting family.
“I ran this last year, and it was super fun, so I came back today to try to defend the title,” 5K runner and winner Jacob Lehmann Duke said. Duke won Delco’s Turkey Trot last year as well. “It’s always a great event and fun to see the crowds out to get Thanksgiving started.”
The Turkey Trot also was Eagles themed, a change from past years.
“We live in such an Eagles land here, so then we had autographed stuff to raffle off that went with the Eagles theme,” race co-director and Haven French teacher Mrs. Traci Dubs said. “I think it really pumped everybody up.”
While thinking out the million little what-ifs that could go wrong was overwhelming in the planning process, Dubs and Hillmeyer noted that seeing so much smiles and support for the day made it worthwhile.
“The highlight of today was seeing everything come to fruition, seeing everyone and seeing them take time out of their busy holiday to come here and support the kids at NPE,” Dubs and Hillmeyer said.
There is much to look forward to for the next Turkey Trot.
“Anything is possible,” Slaven said. “Maybe more raffles, more mascots!”
