First Ever Turkey Trot To Benefit Bucks Co. Heroes Scholarship Fund

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — A new event honoring the memory of a slain Newtown Borough police officer will hit the streets of Newtown Borough on Thanksgiving Day.

Boss Events will stage the first-ever Newtown Turkey Trot 5K Race benefiting the Bucks County Heroes Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to the children of law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and correctional officers who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty.

The Turkey Trot will also be held in memory of Newtown Borough Police Officer Brian Gregg, who was gunned down 20 years ago while doing his job.

"The race, set for Thanksgiving morning, is more than just a fun run. It's an opportunity to come together in remembrance, gratitude, and support," said organizers. "And what better day to unite as a community and give thanks than Thanksgiving itself?"

The Newtown Turkey Trot will step off at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 27 on a designated route through town (see map below). The cost is $50 for adults and $30 for children. The top male and female will receive a $100 gift card to Lang's Ski and Scuba or a Discover Scuba diving lesson for two. The top youth finisher will receive a 686 tech hoodie.

The event is organized by the Newtown-based Boss Events, which organizes fundraising races throughout the nation, including Newtown’s highly successful Shamrock Shuffle, which has raised thousands of dollars for A Love For Life, a Newtown-based nonprofit that supports pancreatic research at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.

About Officer Gregg

Officer Gregg had just started as a full-time officer after serving as a part-time officer when tragedy struck inside the emergency department at St. Mary Medical Center. He was shot and killed on Sept. 29, 2005, after a prisoner was able to gain possession of his partner's service weapon.

Gregg was born in Bristol and grew up in Levittown. He was a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School (Harry S Truman High School), the Bucks County Community College, Ferris State University and the Middlesex Fire Academy.

For 15 years, Gregg worked as a contractor and owned his own business in the area. He then pursued his ambition of becoming a police officer, graduating from the Temple University Police Academy in 2002.

Gregg was hired as a part-time officer with Newtown Borough in 2003. He was later hired as a full-time officer in October 2004.

“Brian truly loved his community and he was proud to serve the town of Newtown,” reads his obituary. “He never hesitated to answer the call to duty or to help others.”

In April 2014 a section of the Newtown Bypass between South State Street and Durham Road was renamed the Officer Gregg Memorial Bypass. The borough also dedicated a park in his memory on North Congress Street.