Lynbrook residents and Key Club student members were among those who participated in and volunteered at the Turkey Trot held at Greis Park this Thanksgiving, Nov. 23. The Turkey Trot is a 5k fun run/walk held on Thanksgiving morning. The event raised money for the Mended Little Hearts (MLH) organization, which supports children and families that suffer from congenital heart defects. Participants ran two loops at Greis Park, consisting of the bike trails and the field.
The purpose of the Mended Little Hearts Turkey Trot was to raise both money and awareness for congenital heart defects. This year’s trot raised over $3,000 dollars and had approximately 200 participants. Key Club worked to help raise awareness within the school and local community to spread the word about the event. Sophomore Aidan Pearsall, who has had open-heart surgeries himself, appreciated the support from the charity. Pearsall’s mother, Shannan Pearsall, is the coordinator for the Long Island Mended Little Hearts group. Pearsall has had three open-heart surgeries and three cardiac catheterizations.
The Turkey Trot was so much fun and was such a great workout…It was a great way to bring everyone together and appreciate each other.”
— Addison DiFiore, sophomore
Members of Key Club helped guide participants along the route during the trot, while others laced up their sneakers to run the course. Junior Catherine Jennings, who ran the 5k race, commented, “I had a lot of fun at the Turkey Trot. I decided almost the night before that I was going to do it and dragged my friends along, but I am really glad I did. It definitely wasn’t easy, but seeing everyone along the way made it worth it.” Sophomore Addison DiFiore also ran the event, adding, “The Turkey Trot was so much fun and was such a great workout. I enjoyed running this 5k on Thanksgiving with my sister and her boyfriend. It was a great way to bring everyone together and appreciate each other.”
The Turkey Trot was so much fun, and it was so great to see how many people showed up to support.”
— Kate Santoli, junior
Junior Jessica Strohofer commented, “The Turkey Trot was very exciting and fun. I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first one, but I would definitely volunteer again or maybe even run it next year.” Junior Kate Santoli agreed: “The Turkey Trot was so much fun, and it was so great to see how many people showed up to support.”
Pearsall and his family are very thankful for Key Club and the Mended Little Hearts organization this Thanksgiving. “All in all, thanks in huge part to the Key Club and Dr. T, we were able to raise a large amount of funds which will now be used to purchase new toys and gifts for the pediatric cardiology unit at NY Presbyterian – Columbia Morgan Stanley’s Children Hospital. The gifts donated are specifically stored for the heart kids so that they will receive something special throughout the year,” Pearsall explained.
Key Club and Mended Little Hearts look forward to continuing the Turkey Trot tradition.
