Townwide Fund Thanksgiving Day Race Attracts Throng
The Huntington community has always possessed a proverbial heart of gold. It’s also a fitness-crazed town. Those two traits collided on Thanksgiving Day morning as an unprecedented throng turned out to participate in the Townwide Fund of Huntington’s annual turkey trot fundraiser.
The huge field included scores of Huntington High School alumni as well as current students, teachers and their spouses, school trustees and their family members, coaches and district parents. “It is a nice, community event,” Huntington teacher Tim Pillion said.
An 8:30 a.m. fun run was followed at 9 a.m. by a timed four-mile competitive race, which drew well over a thousand entries, smashing the previous record set just last year by more than 300 participants. Many of the runners came from out-of-state to spend the day with their families while others were from communities around Long Island.
Among the Thanksgiving Day runners who call Huntington home were members of the Blue Devil varsity girls’ basketball team and their coach, Brad Reminick, a long list of other high school athletes, graduates spanning decades that renewed acquaintances with former classmates and students of all ages.
The day’s weather was optimal for the race, which drew a huge number of young people, as well as top tier runners. The event has become an annual reunion for many of the runners, especially Huntington alumni who come back to town for the holiday.
According to its website, “The Townwide Fund of Huntington was founded in 1961 by a group of private citizens who wanted to help local charities raise funds. The organization's essential mission was to keep money raised in Huntington within the community. Now over 47 years and $9 million later, we continue to infuse local organizations with the support they need to provide health and human services to the people of Huntington. As a non-governmental agency, The Townwide Fund of Huntington bridges the gap between dwindling governmental support for local charities and the increasing needs of community residents.”
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