More Than 4,000 Turn Out For 9th Turkey Gobble To Benefit YMCA Program

TAMPA, FL — More than 4,000 participants came together on Thanksgiving morning to run and walk in the ninth annual Turkey Gobble road race, raising more than $110,000 for the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA's LIVESTRONG program for cancer survivors.

The event was held by Amelie Arena and presented by AdventHealth. More than 150 volunteers were on hand to ensure the event ran seamlessly.

With almost 260 teams in attendance, many participants showed up in fun costumes and turkey
hats. The 5k and 1-mile fun run saw racers and walkers down Channelside at 7 a.m. The event
also included graduates from the LIVESTRONG program who received certificates.

“The 2023 Tampa YMCA Turkey Gobble was our most impactful Turkey Gobble to date because
of the combined efforts of our sponsors, YMCA staff and the incredible volunteers who came
out the week of Thanksgiving to give back. Thank you all,” said Dawn Kita, race lead and operations director of community health for the YMCA.

“We focused on the fundraising component and our racers raised over $22,000 in donations this
year, more than doubling last year’s fundraising amount. We had many of our LIVESTRONG
participants attend and graduate at the plaza before the event and then use the strength they
gained during their program to complete the race," she said. "Watching one of our graduates who has a walker cross the finish line with her coach cheering on her every step was
incredible. This is what this race paves the way to make happen: people setting and achieving
goals and supporting others to do the same.”

The 10th annual Turkey Gobble road race will take place Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024.