Turkey Trotters run to help food bank

CAROLINE LOBSINGER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 weeks, 5 days AGO

Slate Fragoso runs down the pathway at Travers Park as he takes part in the annual Turkey Trot fundraiser on Thursday morning.
Photo by CAROLINE LOBSINGER

Bonner Community Food Bank volunteers accept donations Thursday before the start of the annual Turkey Trot benefit on Thanksgiving Day.

Mega Reimers, Noa Reimers and Trish Randal pose for a photo before the start of Thursday's Turkey Trot benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Sandpoint City Councilor Deb Ruehle, second from right, is joined by family members as she takes part in the community's annual Turkey Trot event.

Area residents take off from the James E. Russell Center as they take part in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Pil Hough joins other area residents in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Area residents take off from the James E. Russell Center as they take part in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Area residents take part in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

A Turkey Trot participant is joined at the fun run by a furry friend. The annual fun run is a benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Area residents take part in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

A Turkey Trot runner show their excitement for the event as they join friends for the Bonner Community Food Bank benefit.

Area residents take part in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Before the feasting comes the running.

At least it did for hundreds of community residents as they took part in the community's annual Turkey Trot fun run Thursday morning.

The fun run takes place at Travers Park, utilizing the walking/running path. As entry into the run, donations for the food bank are accepted with volunteers on hand to accept the nonperishable items.

The goal each year is to raise at least 1,000 pounds of food for the Bonner Community Food Bank — especially needed this year because of increased demand, said Debbie Love, the food bank’s executive director.

When his mom, Megan, suggested they head over to the park for the fun run, Noa Reimers said that it sounded like fun.

Thursday's run was the first time he's taken part in the fun run, and he wasn't sure how far they would go, Noa Reimers said in response to a question from his mom on how far he wanted to run.

"We're just going to have fun," Megan Reimers said.

She said the family would likely start with one complete lap around the park — roughly a mile if they took the full path around the park. The suggestion prompted her young son to say he wanted to run 23 laps.

"So you want to run 23 miles?" Megan Reimers said with a chuckle. "We'll see how it goes."

Megan Reimers said she saw the event as both a way to have fun, help others and burn off a little pre-Thanksgiving energy.

"I wanted to come donate food to the food bank and (the run) seemed like fun," she added.

For food bank volunteer Trish Randal, the event is not only a tradition but gives her another way to help out a favorite cause.

"It's a lot of fun and it's kind of a family event," she added.

Deb Ruehle, who came to the run with her partner and sons Slate and Klein Fragoso, said the event is a fun way to start Thanksgiving Day, which includes dressing up in costumes or holiday outfits. This year, Slate Fragoso came dressed in an old ham sandwich costume from a long-ago Halloween and Ruehle in a cheery Christmas tree apron worn over her running gear.

For Slate Fragoso, the event served as a warm-up for the Hawaii marathon, which takes place in a few weeks.

"I'm just in the holiday spirit," he said. "And it's just fun to dress up to do this. I mean, you can't take the Turkey Trot too seriously."

He then paused, laughed, and added, "I mean, I'm taking it seriously, but I am running as a ham sandwich."

The last time he wore the outfit was in elementary school, when it was a favorite Halloween costume.

Fragoso and his family have taken part in the run for many of the event's 16 years. The family considers it a cherished tradition and can't imagine not spending the morning at Travers Park running as many laps as they can.

Not only do they get a healthy start to the morning, Ruehle and her sons said the fun run allows them to help out a great cause at the same time.

As the time ticked down to 9 a.m. and the start of the fun run, Heidi Bohall, Litehouse YMCA branch executive, told the hundreds gathered that the annual event is a key benefit for the local food bank.

"Thank you everybody for coming out and just being a part of this community and helping us raise food for our community," she added. "It's a really special event and we appreciate everyone being here to help out."

The event, which is sponsored by both the city of Sandpoint and Litehouse YMCA, attracts hundreds of residents every year who turn out to help raise funds for the local food bank. While it’s for a serious cause — helping those facing food insecurity — the event is anything but serious as participants pick how far they want to run.

For some, it's a lap of the inside pathway. For others, it's the equivalent of a 5K or a 10K run. For still others, it's more.

While participants say they come for the fun, the biggest reason they take part every year is to help out the Bonner Community Food Bank.

In Bonner County, a significant percentage of the population struggles with hunger. In 2017, the food bank helped more than 900 area families each month. Today, roughly 3,000 households receive assistance each month.

Those unable to attend the fun run — or who wanted to stay inside and out of the chilly winter wind — but want to help support the food bank are encouraged to do so. Volunteers and donations — both monetary and food staples — are always needed and appreciated.

Among the most-needed items are peanut butter, tuna, canned meat, canned pasta, canned tomato sauce and canned pasta sauce. Baking supplies and seasonings are also welcome. Fresh produce and fruit from gardens can be dropped off at the food bank, or arrangements can be made for pickup, Love said.

For more information about the food bank or how to help, visit bonnerfoodbank.org or call 208-263-3663.

Bonner Community Food Bank volunteers accept donations Thursday before the start of the annual Turkey Trot benefit on Thanksgiving Day.

Mega Reimers, Noa Reimers and Trish Randal pose for a photo before the start of Thursday's Turkey Trot benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Sandpoint City Councilor Deb Ruehle, second from right, is joined by family members as she takes part in the community's annual Turkey Trot event.

Area residents take off from the James E. Russell Center as they take part in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Pil Hough joins other area residents in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.

Area residents take off from the James E. Russell Center as they take part in Thursday's annual Turkey Trot fun run benefit for the Bonner Community Food Bank.