I love the Thanksgiving family feast as much as the next person, but I have found that the cooking and cleaning process are more work than the payoff. After all, I’m a nibbler by nature and I end up eating so much food while preparing the big meal, I’m not even hungry by the time it’s ready to eat. So this year, I decided to buy my Thanksgiving dinner.I know it sounds un-American, but there are more productive things to do with my time. For instance, Plateau Medical Center and Active Fitness Center in Oak Hill (that’s where ACE is located) hosted a 5k Turkey Trot and 2-mile Fun Walk Thanksgiving morning. The hour was a little early – 8 AM – but for those who needed to get back to the kitchen, there was enough time for fun and food.
All you had to do to join was donate 10 cans of food or $20 cash. All proceeds benefited the Fayette Plateau Ministerial Oak Hill Food Pantry. A little exercise is always great, and helping those in need is even better. They collected over $500 in cash and 800 pounds of food. A great success indeed for the first Oak Hill Turkey Trot!
It was definitely worth the early hour – a beautiful morning, about 38 degrees, bright blue skies and calm winds. Luckily, I had prearranged to meet my friend Tracy (an early riser) and bring dogs Emma and Jackson for the event. I had motivation, and I could not back out despite the sleep in my head at 6 a.m.
We opted for the 2-mile Fun Walk which followed a portion of the rails-to-trails in Oak Hill. There seemed to be about 20 of us doing the walk including Scott and Becky from the ACE reservation staff.
Tracy and I quickly moved to the front of the pack (the benefit of having dogs to walk), except for 2 ladies who clearly power-walked on a regular basis. Once we crossed the finish line, we cooled down on one of the benches that line the old train station in town. It was so relaxing to bask in the warmth of the sun and watch the clouds drift across the sky.
It was a great morning to spend outside, and I will definitely make it a Thanksgiving tradition. After all, what better way to celebrate the meaning of Thanksgiving than with the spirit of giving and the company of friends?
