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Tri-Valley Turkey Burn Finds Success as Virtual Event
Pleasanton North Rotary Thanksgiving Family Fun Walk-Run Supports Local Youth Services and Covid-19 Relief
Despite Covid-19 restrictions, Pleasanton North Rotary (PNR) preserved many popular aspects of the sixth annual Tri-Valley Turkey Burn Family Fun Run to again offer area residents opportunities for a healthy run, walk, or stroll as part of their Thanksgiving holiday.
This year’s virtual Turkey Burn attracted 225 registrants who contributed more than $7000 to support Rotary youth services and Covid-19 relief programs, according to Michael Cherman, organizing committee chair. Without restrictions, the 2019 Tri-Valley Turkey Burn at Ken Mercer Sports Park, Pleasanton, drew nearly 2000 registered participants and raised more than $19,000.
“It was hard to predict what it would be like to go virtual, but we still had a lot of positive feedback from our runners and walkers,” he said. “The spirit of the Turkey Burn lived on.”
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Organizers limited the risk of large group gatherings by relying on participants to plan informal runs, walks or strolls with their immediate families or small groups of friends wherever they wished in the Tri-Valley during a four-day period from Thanksgiving Day to Sunday, Nov. 29.
As in past years, participants were again invited to share messages of thanks in words and pictures on their Turkey Burn bibs. PNR accepted donations of canned and packaged food items for Tri-Valley Haven Food Pantry. Participants received Turkey Burn finisher medals and face masks.
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The Turkey Burn supports youth services, such as grants to local high school students for Rotary International Youth Exchange, Student of the Month awards, the Richard D. King Youth Speech Contest, and scholarships to the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) camp in Scott’s Valley, CA.
Covid-19 relief funds will go to Seek and Save, a Pleasanton-based charity serving under-served youth.
Turkey Burn sponsors included Elation Real Estate, Making A Difference for Pleasanton Festival, Pleasanton Girls Softball League (PGSL) Phantom Fastpitch Baseball, Sallmann, Yang and Alameda Certified Public Accountants, Spinal Health Chiropractic, and Tri-Valley Trainer.