A Thanksgiving tradition will be continuing locally under a new banner and at a new location this year.
As has been reported in recent weeks, Southwick House is set to take over the annual Turkey Day Dash which was originally founded by the Walnut Elementary School PTO and ran for 13 years with the final year taking place in 2023. With the new leadership of the event will also come a new location and several new components according to Southwick House Executive Director Susan Brinkman a recent guest of KVOE’s Talk of Emporia.
This year’s event will be moved to Champions Landing and will take place on the golf course cart paths. According to Emporia Recreation Commission Assistant Director of Rec Operations Amanda Gutierrez, also a guest of Talk of Emporia, the new location will be different but still challenging and fun.
Registration for the Turkey Day Dash opened Monday and is available online at SouthwickHouse.org. Brinkman says the organization will also be on hand at several upcoming community events, including Freedom Fest next month, where participants can sign up in person.
The Turkey Day Dash will, as always, take place on Thanksgiving morning Thursday, November 28 starting at 7:30 am. The cost to participate is $15 for runners and walkers 16 years and older, $5 for dashers 5-15 years and free for dashers 4 and younger.
Dashers will receive a free t-shirt upon registration with additional t-shirts available for $12. All proceeds will go to support Southwick’s better than $3 million capital campaign which is currently underway to benefit the construction of a new transitional housing facility at 115 East Logan.
The campaign did recently receive a $1 million gift from the Jones Testementary Trust which has helped put Southwick well over 30 percent towards its fundraising goal. Brinkman tells KVOE News she has two very ambitious goals for both the campaign and construction of the new facility.
For more information on Southwick House and their upcoming events be sure to visit SouthWickHouse.org.
