Woodstock
In 2016 — the event’s 10th year — the $82,000 raised went toward the more than 1,000 hours of programming the organization provides each year.
This year, Executive Director Dail Frates is hoping to raise even more.
“It pays for one-third of our programs,” Frates said, “and our programs are amazing.”
The center is open Monday-Friday, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and most days has a fitness, artistic and educational program, in addition to field trips. The organization’s annual budget is about $275,000 and is funded through fundraisers, including the Turkey Trot, donations and grant writing.
“The first year was great,” Frates recalled. “It was scary because we’d never done anything like this.” Zack’s Place was only a year old at the time and family members encouraged her to consider doing a Thanksgiving Day race, saying it would be easy.
“And of course it wasn’t,” Frates said wryly. “I had to invent the wheel at first because I’d never done a road race.”
Those who participated in that first event had fun and the 5K event turned into an annual tradition. It begins at 10 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day and the route — through the village of Woodstock to Billings Farm, around Mountain Avenue and back to the Green — is the same every year.
“For my family, we love doing something meaningful on Thanksgiving morning,” Frates said. It’s something other families like to do, as well, and sometimes it can be hard to find a place to volunteer. “A lot of other people have the same idea.”
Last year, more than 1,500 people ran the race in Woodstock, while about 80 others participated globally — they register for the race, Frates mails them a T-shirt and then they run or walk a 5K wherever they are in the world on Thanksgiving morning.
“I’m hoping it’s bigger than ever this year,” Frates said.
“It’s really just fun. It’s fun seeing a lot of people you know. … It’s fun being part of something that’s so big. … The air just pulses with goodness. It’s really heartwarming that so many people come out to support a good cause.”
Editor’s note: For more information about the turkey trot or to sign up, visit http://www.zacksplacevt.org/turkey_trot.php. Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
