Prince Frederick, MD – The Third annual “Strut Your Stuffing” 5 Kilometer (K) Turkey Trot was held Thanksgiving Day in Prince Frederick and one thing is certain. This holiday-themed race is no turkey.
According to the race’s sponsor, Project ECHO, over 550 individuals—some who came from as far away as Brazil—participated in the early morning event. Some of the runners and walkers were garbed in turkey hats, Indian feathers and other celebratory attire. While the wintry mix of the previous day may have made some racers hesitant to show up, with less than 30 minutes to go there was a line out the front door of the Arc of Southern Maryland headquarters at the corner of West Dares Beach Road and Prince Frederick Boulevard where the race started and ended.
The first person to strut across the finish line was Dave Strickland, 18, who logged a time of 17 minutes and 21 seconds. He was followed by Bennett Umhau, 25, whose time was 18 minutes and 20 seconds; and then Justin Dejausserandi, 20, who finished the race in 19 minutes and 26 seconds.
Jessica Sproehnl was the top female finisher, logging a time of 21 minutes.
In a pre-race missive, Project ECHO Inc. Executive Director Trisha Riggs-Gipson thanked the 400 or so participants who had registered ahead of time. “The Strut Your Stuffing 5K has doubled its participation since our first Trot in 2012,” Riggs-Gipson stated. “That growth is a reflection of the character of our community.”
And what a collection of characters it was! Not everyone tried to catch Strickland and the other front runners. They appeared content to traverse Prince Frederick Boulevard so as work up an appetite, walk their dogs and push their small children in strollers. One of the last to finish was woman who waved at her friends and quipped, “I would have been first but I stopped off at Starbucks.”
Proceeds from the 5K will help Project ECHO fulfill its mission to aid the homeless with means of temporary and emergency housing, and to assist and enable them to move toward obtaining independent housing. For more information on Project ECHO, visit www.projectecho.net
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
