Families come out in force for Thanksgiving Day race
December 2, 2021 at 3:31 a.m.
Two hundred ninety-eight people take off from the starting line adjacent to the flagpole at Port Chester High School for the Tamarack Tower Foundation’s Turkey Trot on a cold, sunny Thanksgiving morning. After COVID-19 cancelled last year’s 3.5K family race benefiting the Port Chester Public Schools, there was renewed interest in this year’s event. It was sponsored by longtime supporter Arctic Mechanical and Port Chester Run Co, a newly formed community of runners.
Many of the almost 300 people who participated in the Turkey Trot signed up the day of the run/walk, including Ted Darash of Puritan Drive. TTF volunteer Renée Carlucci helps him with the registration process. Liz Rotfeld chaired the event for the first time this year.
2021 Port Chester High School graduate and long-distance runner Tommy Perrone crosses the finish line first.
Twenty-five-year-old Diana Mitova of Willett Avenue is the first female finisher.
Gage Saresky, 14, of Landmark Square completes the first lap of the race.
Zach Dore, wearing Buzz Lightyear garb, covers the course with his 5-year-old daughter Annie, dressed as a princess and catching a selfie. They live on Priscilla Lane.
Omaris Valencia of Willett Avenue runs with her dog Andy which she rescued from Russia, one of many dogs in the race.
Port Chester High School graduate Victoria Wilson and her husband Phabion won the gift basket for coming the farthest to take part in the Turkey Trot. They traveled from Mableton, Ga. to spend Thanksgiving with her family in Port Chester.
Piper Spinelli, 22 months, of College Avenue munches on a doughnut. She wasn’t bothered a bit by the cold and refused to put on shoes, said her mom.
Port Chester High School Key Club members, including senior Dyana Sandoval at the end of the line, dish out doughnuts to participants before the race.
David Hartman of Argyle Road trots along with his dog Scout. Scout and Hartman’s previous dog have been accompanying him on the Turkey Trot every year since 2014.
