Soldiers, Family members, faculty, staff and students took time out of their schedules Thursday for Thanksgiving fun as General Myer Elementary School held its annual Turkey Trot on the school running track.
The Turkey Trot consisted of a series of one-mile races around the track. The competition kicked off with Families, Soldiers, and General Myer faculty and staff racing against each other. Two frozen turkeys were awarded -- one a Soldier or Family member with the best time and the other to a faculty or staff member.
"The stakes have never been higher," said Larry "Coach V" Vaznonis, General Myer physical education teacher as he explained to running adults that frozen turkeys would be awarded to the two winners.
Leading the Soldiers and family members, Capt. Cameron Wright, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, won with the fastest time of 5:36. Winning the best time of the faculty and staff was Pamela Sherod, fifth grade teacher, running the mile in 9:58.
After the adults raced, students participated by grade, and by boys and girls. All together, 120 students raced in the Turkey Trot. Students were awarded participation ribbons, ribbons for tenth through fourth place and medals for third through first place.
"[The Turkey Trot] is a great student, parent and community involvement," Vaznonis said. "The parents are trying to win the free frozen turkey; the students are vying for the medals."
In addition to the students, Families and school personnel, Soldiers from Information Systems Engineering Command, or ISEC, were on hand volunteering. Soldiers helped keep track of the students' running times and assisted in handing out water after the race.
According to Command Sgt. Maj. Brenda Kadet, who led the volunteer Soldiers, this is one of two events ISEC sponsors with General Myer School. Last month, ISEC Soldiers volunteered at the school's Fall Festival. Along with ISEC, Network Enterprise and Technology Command and Joint Interoperability Test Command co-sponsored this year's Turkey Trot.
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