With no hint of winter to mar the crisp, sunny day’s event, the Cerritos College Turkey Trot kicked off in the Falcon Quad last Tuesday, running a half-circuit around the school and ending up back in the Quad with additional festivities.
The fourth annual Turkey Trot race brought in well over 700 cans of food for the Norwalk Community Coordinating Council, a community-based resource program that assists needy families living in the Norwalk area.
The Cerritos College charity event helped raise canned goods for the Council’s annual Holiday Food Basket Program.
Unlike most food bank organizations, where donations are used wherever aid may be requested, the donations made to the Council are used directly to help people in the City of Norwalk.
This local focus helps area philanthropists to directly see where their donations are used.
The Turkey Trot is sponsored by the Athletics Department as a means of bringing in all willing participants, regardless of ability or skill, in an arena where goodwill and fun matter more than competition.
Dr. Carrie Gleckner, department chairperson for Fitness and Wellness, who along with Ni Bueno, adjunct faculty member, helped organize and coordinate the event as a way to combine athletics and charity in a single event.
The original concept of the Turkey Trot is from a similar event held at USC, where Dr. Gleckner did her doctoral work.
“The winners are based on who comes closest to accurately guessing their finishing time, not necessarily who comes in fastest,” Gleckner said.
By simply looking at the winners of the spirit award people can see the spectacular success of the noncompetitive event, she said.
The English Department came in first with 43 participants and the Disabled Students Program Services came in second with 39 participants.
Although the jackrabbits that came in first received plaques, the “Turkey” prizes were awarded to the participants who best guessed their times.
Student Cindy Hurtado’s time was only two seconds off her guess and staff member Renee Chomiak was only three seconds off.
Each of the turkey winners was awarded certificates from Ralph’s/Food4Less for free turkeys at any of their participating stores.
Norwalk Mayor Gordon Stefenhagen, was present to greet the runners and walkers.
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Read more about theTurkey Trot and other campus news in the Talon Marks.
On the Stands this Thursday |
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