VALPARAISO | Before people dash to the dinner table to gobble down turkey and all the fixins' on Thanksgiving, Kids Alive International is hoping they will take time to run in the organization's fifth annual Turkey Trot 10K run.
Kids Alive is a Valparaiso-based group that provides a home, education and medical care for orphaned and abandoned children all over the world. It's goal is to rescue 10,000 children by 2010, and the Thanksgiving Day trot is fundraiser for the worldwide effort.
The run is held at Valparaiso High School's field house beginning at 8:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning. Registration can be done online at kidsalive.org and going to the Turkey Trot 2008 link. Online registration ends Nov. 24 at noon, and those who register by Saturday will be guaranteed to receive a souvenir t-shirt.
Entry fee is $15 for those who register by Saturday and $20 for those who register between Sunday and Nov. 26. Registration on race day, which will be held from 7 to 8 a.m., is $30. Runners also can raise additional money through pledges, and an award will be given to the three participants who bring in the highest amount of pledges.
The race will have chip timing for runners and offer times at every mile marker. Two water stations will be available on the route.
Prizes will be awarded to the top male and female finishers and the top male and female masters racers (those over 40). Also, awards will go to the top three finishers, male and female, in the 11 age divisions from 14 and under to 60 and over.
The organization also needs volunteers to help with the race. Volunteers should be at the school by 7 a.m. for their assignment. Kids Alive Community Liaison Phyllis Pierson said the race usually ends by 10:30 a.m., which gives volunteers plenty of time to get home for dinner with their families. Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Pierson at 464-9035, ext. 28, or at Phyllis@kidsalive.org.
Pierson said more than 400 people participated in last year's race, and the organization hopes to top that this year.
