Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot run/walk planned

A new event is seeking to improve community health and raise funds to help with rising veterinary costs at the Taylor County Humane Society.

The Taylor County Humane Society will be hosting a “Turkey Trot” on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23 inviting people to “Move your feet before you eat!”

The untimed run/walk will start and finish at the Seidl Center at the Humane Society at 819 S. Gibson St. and will loop south to CTH O, then down Whelen Ave. to Cedar Street and back to Gibson St. People are invited to register for the event with all participants receiving a hat with a custom leather patch. In addition, the race bibs will include tearoff coupons for local restaurants with a value of $6. People may register online at https://runsignup.com/tchswiorg_signup.

Organizer and Humane Society board member Nora Thums said she and her daughter, Sarah Thums, had participated in a similar event a few years ago and wanted to bring it to Medford as a way for people to get in some physical activity before Thanksgiving dinner.

Money raised from the run will go toward ongoing costs at the TCHS. According to shelter manager Scott Schultz, the shelter has seen 200 animals surrendered to it this year with many of them needing medical care requiring veterinarian visits. So far this year, TCHS has spent about $13,000 in veterinarian expenses, which has severely impacted other parts of the organization’s budget.

Thums said that so far they have had a good response with 54 participants signed up. While pre-registration is encouraged, people may also register the day of the event with registration from 8 to 8:45 a.m. and the walk/run beginning at 9 a.m.

The framing is up and awaiting a roof for a shelter being built in the Whelen Park location along the Black River in downtown Medford. The city is converting a former parking lot into a park space. The shelter will accommodate the downtown farmer’s markets and other events and includes bathrooms and a serving area.