The weather was chilly, but the people were excited to return in person for the 14th installment of the Cooper Farms Turkey Trot 5K this year. More than 200 runners and walkers came together to raise $2,000 for Everheart Hospice.
After taking a year off as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of Cooper Farms team members and members of the surrounding communities came together on the morning of November 6 with a common goal.
“This is all done in the name of Everheart Hospice,” said race coordinator and Cooper Farms team member, Hillary Stein. “We’ve partnered with them each year that we’ve done this race, and it’s always an exciting time as we wait for the numbers to come back and find out what we’re able to contribute to them.”
Despite taking some extra precautions this year compared to years past, the attendance did not take a hit, according to Stein.
“This year, we decided to change a few things, like offering a takeout turkey meal as opposed to dining in, and we mailed prizes to all winners afterward to avoid post-race congregating,” she said. “We certainly wanted to be together again, but also wanted to do things as safely as possible. And our numbers were great. They were similar to our 2018 numbers, which were fantastic.”
The top female at this year’s event was 15-year-old Nicki Southerland of Muncie, Indiana. She clocked in with a chip time of 17:35, while the top overall male was Angel Martinez of St. Henry, checking in at 18:20.
