ROANOKE, Va. – Thanksgiving Day in Roanoke kicked off with the Annual Drumstick Dash to support the Roanoke Rescue Mission.
A cold morning welcomed runners to River’s Edge Park for the start of the dash. This year’s race brought tons of excitement because it was back in person.
“It is wonderful. We ran virtually last year of course and it is good to be back moving our feet, so that others can eat,” said Marion Childres, who ran his 15th dash this Thanksgiving.
There were plenty of people lining the streets, cheering on the runners and walkers. Some were even dressed up for the occasion in their best turkey costume.
This year’s dash had some changes. It was supposed to be downtown but because of a shortage of police officers, it had to be changed to the Greenway. Most runners said they didn’t mind the change because they were just happy to participate.
“I run here every Sunday so it is actually my normal trail run that I do every Sunday,” said Franchesca Sample.
Even though there were some changes, the mission of the dash remained the same. All of the proceeds go to helping the Rescue Mission of Roanoke provide a hot meal for those in need.
“We are glad to run this morning but knowing what we are running for is even bigger,” said Sample.