While some woke up early on Thanksgiving Day to get started on the turkey, thousands of others put on their running shoes instead.
NBC 5 is a proud sponsor of the 43rd annual Mortiz Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot presented by Texas Health.
Despite the chilly weather, families stayed committed to a longtime tradition and one of Tarrant County’s largest events.
From the starting line to the eventual turkey dinner, it’s an everlasting tradition defining Thanksgiving Day in Fort Worth.
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“This is a great example of health and wellness. Anything that can improve the health of our communities, Texas Health wants to be a part of it,” said Ajith Pai, president of Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth and Texas Health Hospital Clearfork. “Some families have been doing it for 43 years. This is our first, but we hope for many more years to come.”
Pai is starting a tradition with his 9-year-old daughter, Elyse.
“I’m just really excited. I’ve never done anything like this and this is all for Thanksgiving,” she said. “I’m really excited having my family supporting me.”
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The first-ever Turkey Trot, which took place in 1981, had just 200 runners. Now, it has grown to more than 10,000 participants.
For some, like Autumn Rompf of Arlington, it's bittersweet. Her father, John Rompf, loved to run and rarely missed a turkey trot. But this will be the first one without him since he passed away a few months ago.
“He was a really special person to all of us. That’s why it’s a hard day,” she said. “This is something he used to drag us to when we were really little up until last year,” she joked through tears.
On Thursday, he was inducted into the Fort Worth YMCA Turkey Trot Hall of Fame as his family works to keep his memory going.
“This is something that kept us going every year and kept us all together and something we could look forward to doing as a family. So, I love that this brings community to other people, and now we get to do this in honor of him,” said Autumn, who brought the dogs, her sister, and other relatives for the run. “I think it's something he would have really enjoyed that we did for him.”
At the heart of the Turkey Trot is giving back. This is the biggest fundraiser for the YMCA, helping cover expenses for local families in need.
“It's actually our signature event that raises scholarships for a little over 30,000 people in the Fort Worth region,” said Mike Brown, president and CEO of the Fort Worth YMCA. “Parents are able to afford childcare, a teen program, and swim lessons because of their support. So it's pretty incredible that we do this on the day of Thanksgiving.”
Over the years, the event has raised millions to support local youth in Tarrant County.
DALLAS YMCA TURKEY TROT
The Dallas Turkey Trot also brought thousands of participants to downtown Dallas for an exciting morning benefitting the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas.
For over 55 years, the YMCA Dallas Turkey Trot has been a Thanksgiving tradition for families, friends, and athletes of all levels.
Around 22,000 runners participated in the Dallas run, one of the largest turnouts in recent years.
Donations and proceeds from the Dallas YMCA Turkey Trot also benefit the Y’s community health programs across the metroplex that help families dealing with diabetes, nutritional challenges, and weight loss struggles.
