Neither wind nor rain nor SNOW detains us from a rousing 3K,5K, or 8K Alzheimer’s Awareness Turkey Trot wake-up call. When I ran the course at 5am a slight mist circulated the air, by 6:30 the weather became blustery, and at 7:10 as helpers and participants arrived enormous snowflakes floated down covering hats and hoods and then melting as more flakes tumbled to earth. I worried, but only for a moment, about attendance as we still had some shirts available and this really is “the more the merry” type of experience, however, as cars plowed in concern vanished as we scurried with wet registration forms and hastily assembled covers for our raffle prizes. My volunteer photographer and grand-daughter, Ellie Stephens, snapped photos before, during, and at the end of the event some posted here.
By 7:50 am the Lowry Cheer squad had raced to their assigned spots along the course to prepare music, guide runners and walkers, and shout encouragement. At 8 the Lowry Wrestlers assembled at the start with everyone else behind them as the team launched their traditional Turkey Day run. I reminded them that some of us run daily – for fun! – but I am not sure how seriously my words resounded. Off they dashed with a multitude to follow. This turned out to be our best turn-out ever with the most funds donated by individuals, teams, families, and businesses, especially Nevada Gold Mines and Humboldt Connections. I had ordered 295 shirts and needed about 100 more. With these numbers in mind, I am already compiling the list for 2024 – registration is open to assure you receive the shirt of your choice ahead of the day.
Our first 8K runner sprinted in well under an hour and the rest flowed by, grabbing chocolate milk (provided by Wade Distributing), a banana, and water (supplied by HGH) as they headed for warm vehicles and a vision of a yummy dinner to come. Wrestlers who had run as a bunch tore in, competing to be ahead of the pack. The final walkers appeared shortly thereafter and with no mess/no cleanup I returned home by 10 to find a hot breakfast waiting. The smiles, the waves, and the joy filled my heart and made me excited for the future. One of my kids stated, “Mom, I predicted the 10th AATT to be your last” to which I replied, “How can I give up such a magnificent chance to unite with our community?”
As for the competition… HGH took the lead with 21 participants followed by the Alan Olsen Family (17) and a 3-way tie, each having 13: the Wogans, the Snyders, and the Brooks. From babies to grandma and Pops, what super involvement plus some or all have joined us for 10 years! While we had planned to call our raffle winners before the race, soaking wet tickets and icy hands forced us to wait until later. The big winners include Diane Klassen., Meshell Mendiola, Saundra Lange, Emma Baker, Marty Seely, and Jaime Peterson. All seemed thrilled with my phone call and they quickly came to retrieve the awesome prizes created by Brandie Pettis, Betty Lawrence, Lisa Harting, and Allison Stephens.
I cannot begin to thank our community plus those who participated from out-of-state - Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, and Maryland (virtual) for their involvement, good cheer, and generosity. Families throughout the Humboldt County will benefit from our Thursday respite program, in-home respite reimbursement, and education opportunities. I plan to see your energetic faces at every event and especially Thursday, Thanksgiving morning, November 28th, 2024 – same time and same locale. For those who did not receive a desired sweatshirt (or maybe none at all) let me know as I begin the registration outline for next year (register now/pay later/run virtually…so many options).
As for the Luminaries in the packets… These are to put in your window or on your steps Thursday, December 21st, the Longest Night, to honor the 24/7 responsibilities of all caregivers. Donations, if desired, may be made to www.alz.org Click “Get Involved” then “The Longest Day” “Search”: either my name or Alzheimer’s Awareness Winnemucca. All proceeds for Alzheimer’s research and education. If you need luminaries or want more, contact me. We’ll light the City (County and Nevada) with love.