Like a switch, Maryland’s temperatures have plummeted in the past week, and the holiday season has come roaring back once again. As hard as it is to believe, we’re officially in “Thanksgiving week,” brought home to me by my wife musing over which sides to prepare for what will be a relatively small gathering this year in our household.
Of course, for our family and so many across the region, Thanksgiving has long been synonymous with the Y Turkey Trot Charity 5k. While the color of the race shirt and the amount of frost on the grass has varied over time, the essential energy and joyful communal vibe have remained the same. It remains for me and for thousands an annual happening that I couldn’t imagine not being part of.
If you've never participated in the Y Turkey Trot Charity 5k, it’s not too late to jump in. To register for one of the six races around the region (Arnold, Baltimore City - Waverly, Bel Air, Ellicott City, Towson and Westminster), volunteer and/or support our Thanksgiving food drive, simply visit ymdturkeytrot.org and you’ll find everything you need. It's our biggest (and really our only) fundraiser of the year, with proceeds supporting the Y Open Doors fund, enabling families and individuals to participate in healthy Y programs they otherwise may not be able to afford. In this way and in every way, the Y Turkey Trot Charity 5k is both a clear example of and greatly enables inclusive community-building.
I am so thankful for the many Y volunteers, sponsors and associates who make this all possible. A big shout-out to our generous lead sponsors, CFG Bank, LifeBridge Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine and Fulton Bank, and to everyone who will make Thanksgiving morning a “joyful noise” on Thursday.
All the best,
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland