29,604 people took part in the Sacramento's annual turkey trot Thursday, setting a new record for the local Thanksgiving Day charity event.
Thursday's competition is the largest Thanksgiving Day fun run in the country. About 30 thousand participants cruised along main streets in the capital of California, wearing hats resembling roasted turkeys and various dishes found on the Thanksgiving menu, including corncobs and cans of Campbell soup to capture the "turkey spirit."
This race, drawing participants from across the United States and called "Run to Feed the Hungry," is also an important event to raise money for the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.
Blake Young, chief executive of the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, was quoted by local Sacramento Bee newspaper as saying that the Sacramento community is a very giving community and he expected Thursday' s event to generate more than 950,000 U.S. dollars in gifts for his charity.
The money from race fees will help pay for food in all Sacramento county food banks, along with other programs including ones that provide parenting education and clothing for the needy.
Run to Feed the Hungry dates back to 1994, when 796 participants turned out for the inaugural event. Approximately 29,000 registered in 2016.
