Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
TURKEY TROT GOES VIRTUAL THIS YEAR
Event raises funds for Cure4Cam Childhood Cancer Foundation
WEST CHESTER » The 19th annual Chester County Turkey Trot, historically one of the largest races in Chester County typically registering more than 3,000 participants annually, will be a virtual event this year.
“The Chester County Turkey Trot has become an uplifting, inspiring community event and huge tradition for some families in the area,” said Regina Evans, one of the organizers of the event, and founder of Cure4Cam Childhood Cancer Foundation. “Typically, due to holiday gatherings, it draws participants and spectators from all over the country. So far, this year there are participants registered from 16 different states and we’d love to see if we can get that to include all 50.”
The event is sponsored by the Downingtown West Cross Country team and raises funds for Cure4Cam, a nonprofit formed in 2012 dedicated to helping find less harmful, more effective treatments and cures for childhood cancers. It is named after Cameron Evans, a Downingtown West Cross Country athlete, who died at the age of 14 in 2012.
“With the pandemic, our numbers are down,” said Jennifer DiMedio, who is helping to organize this year’s event. “One hundred percent (of funds raised in the Turkey Trot) goes to Cure4Cam.”
The Trot, which this year is a virtual 5K walk and run, takes place Nov. 26 through Nov. 29. Participants are given the opportunity, at registration, to form teams as a way of “socializing” in this time of social distancing. Even Tshirts are also being done a little differently this year. Participants have the ability to customize a commemorative T-shirt through https:// www.bonfire.com/ccturkeytrot/.
“We’ve given people a choice in a time when, in many instances, control seems to have been taken away,” Evan s said.
In an effort to foster a family and community spirit, this year’s event will feature a “no registration fee” virtual event, free to register. However, organizers are relying on donations.
Cancer remains the number one cause of death by disease in U.S. children less than age 19 and, on average, 43 children are diagnosed with cancer every day.
The Chester County Turkey Trot has raised over $325,000 for childhood cancer research since the partnership began.
For details and to sign up, see https://runsignup. com/ccturkeytrot. Donations are also being accepted through the registration site or can be mailed to Cure4Cam, P.O. Box 211, Lyndell, PA 19354-0211.
Further info about the Cure4Cam Childhood Cancer Foundation may be found at https://cure4cam. org/.