Local families, track stars make Turkey Trot a rewarding event
December 1, 2022 at 7:46 a.m.
Two hundred twenty-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 sunny Thanksgiving morning. After a year’s hiatus in 2020 due to COVID-19, the 3.5K race benefiting the Port Chester Public Schools was revived last year with renewed interest and continued to draw Port Chester and Rye Brook families and current and former local track stars this year. Port Chester Board of Education President Chrissie Onofrio welcomed runners and started the race, which was sponsored by longtime supporter Arctic Mechanical.
All but 74 of the 228 people who participated in the Turkey Trot signed up the morning of the run/walk. TTF volunteer Renée Carlucci helps a runner with the registration process. Liz Rotfeld chaired the event for the second year.
2021 Port Chester High School graduate and long-distance runner Tommy Perrone crosses the finish line first for the second year in a row with a time of 17:07. A track star at PCHS, he now runs for Pratt Institute where he is studying game design.
Fellow Blind Brook High School track team members were the first two females to finish the race. Kayleigh Curran, 14, (right) of Mohegan Lane came in first while Sydney Goldberg, 16, of Pine Ridge Road finished second.
Blake Kerrick of Valley Terrace was among the many participants who kept pace with their dogs. His frisky golden doodle Toby accompanies him along the course. Behind him is David Hartman of Argyle Road with his dog Scout (hidden). Scout and Hartman’s previous dog have been trotting along with him in the Thanksgiving run every year since 2014.
Melanie Klashen of White Plains dressed for the occasion sporting a silly turkey hat.
Abby Munoz’s cockapoo, Juice, keeps up with the 16-year-old from Danbury, Conn. She has family in Port Chester.
Terry Heller, 88, of Glen Avenue was the oldest Turkey Trot participant. She is flanked by grandchildren Kelly Hyland and Julie Tiedemann of Rye. The Tiedemanns won the prize for having the most family members (6) taking part, an award they have often won in the past.
Blake and Kasey Kerrick’s golden doodle Toby of Valley Terrace happily wears a Tamarack Tower Foundation T-shirt, just like other runners.
Katie Kessler of Robert Avenue pushed her daughter Teagan, 2½, in her stroller until the end of the run when Teagan got out to cross the finish line on her own two feet.
