One of the community’s best-loved annual events is set to return this weekend, with the 20th annual “New Canaan Turkey Trot” scheduled for the morning of Sunday, Nov. 19 (registration and details here). Co-chaired this year by four New Canaan High School juniors—Pia Bausman, Henry Hladick, Caroline Squillante and Adelaide Tuff—the Turkey Trot offers participants several options to participate in what is an important fundraiser for Open Doors in Norwalk: a 5k run (in-person race), virtual 5k run (run anywhere) or virtual 1 mile walk (walk anywhere).
Sponsors include HSS Stamford, Stirling Mills Interior Design and Walter Stewart’s Market. The event starts from Waveny House. Check-in on race day starts at 10:30 a.m., with kickoff at 11 a.m. Runners also can check in early at 84 Sports at 43 Vitti St.
Get ready for Thanksgiving with a short run through Waveny Park the Sunday before the holiday. The 5 km course starts and finishes at Waveny House. Or register for the virtual 5k run or 1 mile walk and participate from anywhere you choose. Don’t miss this time honored and family friendly tradition benefiting Open Doors in Norwalk. Visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Annual-New-Canaan-Turkey-Trot-for-the-Homeless-357846904308457/
Run, jog or walk for a cause in the 16th Annual New Canaan Turkey Trot. Organized and by a team of New Canaan and Weston students, all proceeds from this 5k run will benefit the Open Door Shelter in Norwalk, a non profit that provides critical support to individuals and families in need.
Note: Due to a snowstorm, the 2018 Turkey Trot has been moved to the Sunday after Thanksgiving—Nov. 25. New Canaan High School senior Brielle Connelly first got involved in the Turkey Trot three years ago, as a member of its organizing committee.
She’d visited the annual fundraiser’s beneficiary organization, Open Doors in Norwalk—a nonprofit that provides shelter, food, clothing, case management and other services to homeless people—and the visit made a strong impression on her. “I met the people that go there and they were so grateful for us being able to come,” Connelly said. “They knew the Turkey Trot and I though tit was really special to be able to do something fun that was a community event and for kids to appreciate the people in our area.
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, most New Canaanites are gearing up for the Turkey Bowl, receiving guests, or traveling to spend the holiday with loved ones. Even so, for many less fortunate families in surrounding communities, the days leading up to Thanksgiving might not be so carefree. Many homeless Fairfield County residents will be spending the holiday in area shelters, relying on volunteers and donations in order to stay warm and fed. On Sunday, November 22nd the 12th annual Turkey Trot 5K run/walk will commence at Waveny Park to benefit one such establishment—Norwalk’s Open Door Shelter, a 95-bed facility located at 4 Merritt Street. According to its website, the Open Door operates primarily from private donations, making community events like the Turkey Trot—chaired by Paige Lord and co-chaired by David Tamburri, Morgan Connelly and Teddy Schoenholtz— that much more important.
