"Turkey Trot" race events will be held at multiple sites in Los Angeles and Orange counties on Thanksgiving, including in Pacific Palisades in what's being billed as the community's first special event since January's devastating wildfire.
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David O'Connell, a co-founder of Thursday's 11th annual Pacific Palisades Turkey Trot, said the decision to go forward with the race came "right after Labor Day."
"Typically, that's when we start leaning into the event because that's when the back-to-school communications are and that's when sponsors are doing their budgeting and when people are making their plans for the fourth quarter," O'Connell told City News Service.
"The reason we ultimately decided to run it is that the interest was really significant, both on the sponsorship front and the runner side. People started reaching out unsolicited to ask if we were coming back.
"Then it occurred to me very quickly that this race could be something that the community could really rally around" -- as the destruction caused by the Palisades Fire caused nearly all of Pacific Palisades' residents to move on an either temporary or permanent basis.
O'Connell has moved to Century City due to the destruction of his house, but has started the permitting process to rebuild, he said.
He said he hopes the event -- which consists of 5K and 10K runs and a Kids Race -- will have about 2,000 entrants, its pre-fire amount. About 1,400 people had entered as of Tuesday afternoon, O'Connell said.
The race has drawn 12 sponsors. It normally drew about six, O'Connell said.
New sponsors include "a couple of construction companies, a couple of fire prevention companies," O'Connell said.
The event will benefit the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, which was destroyed by the fire, but is planned to be rebuilt, while a swimming pool will be built at a different site, O'Connell said.
A $15,000 donation will be made to the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, with funds coming from race entry fees and the race's top sponsor, XBP Global, a multinational technology and services company that has an office in Santa Monica, O'Connell said.
The fire has prompted the races to have new courses. The races had begun and ended at Palisades Charter High School, which was severely damaged. Now, they will begin and end in "downtown Pacific Palisades," O'Connell said.
Other turkey trots in Los Angeles County include:
-- The 10th annual Drumstick Dash, billed by organizers as the largest Thanksgiving Day run in Los Angeles County, with approximately 8,000 participants expected to run in either the 5K or 10K through North Hollywood's Arts District.
Both the 5K and 10K will begin at 8:30 a.m. near the North Hollywood Metro station.
The event benefits Hope the Mission, a nonprofit that seeks to prevent, reduce and eliminate poverty, hunger and homelessness. The event's slogan is, "Move your feet so others can eat."
-- The 13th annual Turkey Trot Los Angeles in downtown L.A. raises money for The Midnight Mission's programs of finding ways to self-sufficiency for people experiencing homelessness.
The event consists of a mile-long Dog Jog at 7:30 a.m.; a 5K starting in waves at 8 and 8:15 a.m.; the 10K at 9 a.m.; and a quarter-mile "Widdle Wobble" for "kids of all ages"' at 10:15 a.m. in Gloria Molina Grand Park.
-- The eighth annual Rose Bowl Turkey Trot will begin at 8:30 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation and the Pasadena Education Foundation Eaton Fire Response.
-- The 45th annual Harry Sutter Memorial Turkey Trot three-mile fun run will begin at 8 a.m. in the Sam's Club parking lot at the Torrance Crossroads Center.
The run is conducted by the Torrance Community Services Department, which is inviting runners and spectators to bring cans of food for a Thanksgiving Food Drive. The canned foods will be distributed to people in need throughout the South Bay.
-- La Cañada Flintridge's 32nd annual Thanksgiving Day Run & Food Drive will begin with the adult 5K run at 8:15 a.m., followed by the Kids' Mile at 9:30 a.m., both in Olberz Park.
-- Turkey trots in Orange County will be held in Dana Point and Tustin.
Meanwhile, other events planned for Thursday will offer free holiday meals to those in need.
The Midnight Mission will be among the organizations serving free Thanksgiving meals to homeless and indigent people in Los Angeles County, with nearly 2,000 homeless and near-homeless people expected.
Sixth Street in front of the Mission in downtown L.A. will be closed as staff and volunteers serve 3,500 pounds of turkey and 500 pounds of stuffing, topped by 50 gallons of gravy, along with 3,500 pounds of oven-baked glazed ham, 1,000 pounds of garlic mashed potatoes, 750 pounds of seasonal vegetables, 250 pounds of cranberry sauce, 300 pounds of dinner rolls and 300 pounds of holiday dessert, according to Georgia Berkovich, the mission's chief communications officer.
Volunteers will include Mr. T and fellow actor Nia Long, and Tom Morello, guitarist with Rage Against the Machine, Prophets of Rage and Audioslave.
Laugh Factory Hollywood is expecting more than 2,000 people for its annual free Thanksgiving feast, continuing a tradition begun in 1979, just a week after the club opened, with a small event that served 71 comedians who were away from home and their children.
Tim Allen, Arsenio Hall and Tiffany Haddish will be among the comedians serving and performing. Seatings will be at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
In Orange County, the Anaheim Family YMCA will conduct the "Give Thanks" Thanksgiving Dinner at The Grove of Anaheim beginning at 7:30 a.m. A community dinner will be held at Harry's Café in Stanton beginning at 1 p.m.
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