Locals Looking to Gobble Up Some Run Time

How many legs does a trotting turkey have?

If you guessed 4000, you’d be right!

And several of those legs running in the Seacoast Rotary’s third annual 5K Turkey Trot belong to The Chase Home for Children Program Director Than Meyers, board of directors President Michael Moody, Secretary Kathy Birse-Segal and their families.

The trot is part of the Portsmouth Community Road Race Series which consists of six events. Each year on Thanksgiving morning, 2,000 runners leave their warm, cozy, roasting turkey-scented homes to queue up at Pierce Island at 8:30 a.m. and walk or run 3.1 miles to the finish line at .

Proceeds from the charity event go to selected beneficiaries of the Seacoast Rotary Club.

The Chase Home for Children, one of this year’s selected beneficiaries, has been a Portsmouth landmark for over 130 years. From its roots as an orphanage for seacoast children, the Chase has evolved over the years to meet the ever changing needs of New Hampshire’s at-risk youth and their families.

The cornerstone of the innovative therapeutic residential programs, which include in-home family services and adventure-based learning, is the firm belief that all children need and deserve to live in a safe, healthy, stable family and community.

Katy McDermott, who will be there on Thanksgiving, sees firsthand, every day, the importance of community involvement.

“We are fortunate to benefit from the kindness and generosity of the Seacoast Rotary and the individuals and groups from the Greater Portsmouth Community who give their time, talent, and donations," she said. "It would be impossible for us to accomplish our work without them. We acknowledge and thank each of them for joining us in helping to make a difference in the lives of our children.”

The Turkey Trot is a great way to start a day that is set aside specifically for giving thanks. Come out, stand on the sidelines, and cheer on these everyday local heroes. It just might give you that feeling in your gut that makes you want to be a part of the solution.

McDermott said she would like to thank all the trotters and sideliners but particularly the ones who also work and volunteer at the Chase Home:

• Staff: Michael Crocco, Nathaniel Meyer, Mary Tarpey, John Coughlin, Lindsey Ewald, Andrew McCormish   
• Directors: George Harvey
• Friends: John Tarpey, Peggy Tarpey (Mary Tarpey’s husband and daughter)

More information about the Seacoast Rotary Club is available here, while more information about the Chase Home for Children is available here.