by Anthony Pinder
The College of Southern Maryland Turkey Trot held Nov. 18 at the La Plata Campus raised thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society, yet it held so much more significance than fundraising for many participants.
This annual event attempts to attract people of all ages who are looking to be active and fit for good health, said CSM Fitness Coordinator Jane Pomponio.
Pomponio and CSM Aquatics Coordinator Christopher Tuttle created the event and continue to coordinate it. The Turkey Trot raised more than $3,000 and attracted nearly 140 participants this year. The funds, through the CSM Foundation, will support students who are either cancer survivors or who have lost a parent to cancer. A portion of the proceeds will also benefit the American Cancer Society.
I have friends and family who have had cancer, said Pomponio. I was glad to organize something to benefit (these) efforts.
It wasnt just about fundraising for some participants; it was a serious athletic event. First-place mens winner, Chase Collins, of La Plata, said he hasnt run competitively since high school and still managed to pull off this win. Collins said he found out about the event via Twitter, and didnt have anything to do that Sunday, so for him to randomly sign up and win the race served as a confidence booster.
For second-place winner, Wesley Harris, of La Plata, the event marked a new personal record. He says he ran the 5k in 18.10 minutes, an improvement from his last years time of 19.12 minutes. Harris said he had been training for a month leading up to the event, working with speed and endurance and he wanted to go all out for his last event of the year.
While not everyone can win in terms of speed, many participants won during an after-race raffle. At the finish line, in addition to the trophy prizes, local businesses donated prizes, including Pizza Hotline, The Greene Turtle, La Tolteca, Hunan Star, Longevity Studios, Chick-fil-A of La Plata and Melwood.
For race results, visit http://www.bluepointtiming.com/files/results/2012/CSM_age_group_results_turkey_trott_2012.htm.
To view a photo gallery of the event, visit http://csmphoto.zenfolio.com/12turkeytrot.
For information on CSMs Wellness, Fitness and Aquatics programs, visit http://www.csmd.edu/CommunityEducation/WFR/index.html.
Anthony Pinder is a student at the College of Southern Maryland enrolled in COM2300 Writing for the Media.