The Third Annual Turkey Trot 5K Family Fun Run will take place on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday, November 27th. The lollipop course will begin and end at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church) at 91 Jordan Road in Franklin. Sponsored by the Feed the Need organization located in Hull, MA, the race is open to runners and walkers of all ages, featuring medals for best overall, first, second and third and for men, women and children by age category. A free raffle and continental breakfast will follow the race.
Feed the Need races started back in 2003 to support food pantries and shed light on hunger issues in local communities. The first such race took place here in Franklin in 2005, an idea of the LDS Church to help give back.“The race was renamed the Franklin Turkey Trot and began taking place on Thanksgiving morning three years ago when my son Hayden asked if he could plan the race as his Eagle Scout project – it has really hit its stride since,” remarked Krystal Whitmore, Director of the Franklin Turkey Trot.
“We are inspired by the fantastic turnout for the Franklin race. It is wonderful to see something so simple create this great sense of community bonding and giving back on the holiday of Thanksgiving.” Erin Lynch, Executive Director for the Franklin Food Pantry agrees, “When
people come out on this special holiday to get involved it shows a uniting and protecting of our community – our larger family – from the threat of hunger. We are grateful to Feed the Need for spearheading the race and raising awareness.”
 |
| Food Pantry Executive Director Erin Lynch and Rep Jeff Roy training for the Feed the Need 5k |
Erin has been preparing to run this year’s race for several weeks with Franklin’s State Representative Jeffrey Roy. “Representative Roy and I decided to run the race in 2014 to bring more attention to the aspect of building sustainable solutions to end hunger. Jeff has been a huge supporter of our role in the Healthy Futures Franklin initiative, a collaboration launched by the Hockomock Area YMCA. We are all working together to improve the health of the community, and increasing access to nutritious food is a critical step.”
“Franklin is a town that prides itself in connecting with one another in the face of adversity,” said Representative Jeffrey Roy “On the issue of hunger, Franklin Food Pantry is at the heart of a collaborative network of organizations, individuals and volunteers who partner throughout the year to make food and healthy, life changing programs available to our neighbors. The Franklin Turkey Trot is one of those events where it all comes together and I would like to thank Erin Lynch for issuing me the challenge several months ago to join her in healthy living and training to run this year.”
Entry Fee for the Turkey Trot $20 or 20 cans of food (or box of personal toiletries). To participate in the Turkey Trot, please pre-register online at http://www.feedtheneed.org/. Register in person at LDS Church on Wednesday night, November 26th, 7-9pm or on race day, 6:45-7:45am. The first 100 participants to pick up their race bibs on Wednesday night will receive a T-shirt.
As part of the mission to provide immediate hunger relief and healthy sustainable solutions, the Franklin Food Pantry has increased the amount of fresh produce offered, resulting in a 43% increase in households returning on a regular basis for their fruits and vegetables. From June through October the pantry hosts a weekly Healthy Futures Market, where families receive produce as well as cooking demonstrations and healthy recipes courtesy of Cooking Matters. Also implemented this year was the new Healthy Futures™ shelf, which offers healthy alternatives such as Gluten-Free, Low Sodium, Low Sugar, and Whole Grain options for each family to choose from.
