Published: November 25, 2008 09:08 am      

Shop with a Cop turkey trot

By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer

Running, and even walking, isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks about Thanksgiving Day. Mounds of turkey, dressing and pumpkin pie, maybe... but running?

But, come this Thursday, the streets of downtown Williamsburg will be filled with runners and walkers. They’ll be running for a good cause — the second annual Williamsburg Turkey Trot, which raises money for the Williamsburg Police Department’s Shop with a Cop program.

Angie Bowling, Williamsburg’s domestic violence victim’s advocate, was one of the committee members who organized this year’s event. She said the run is the brainchild of Mayor Roddy Harrison. The 5K (which is a little more than three miles) will close down Main and Third streets on Thursday.

“Last year was our first year, and we’ve got it a whole lot more organized this year,” Bowling said. “People can register up until the race at 9 a.m. ... First place winners in age divisions will receive turkey trophies and medals. We have a homemade pie for the winners.”

Bowling said the event has been organized and funded by volunteers, and 100 percent of the event’s proceeds will go toward the Shop with a Cop program.

The Shop with a Cop program provides Christmas presents for children whose families might not be able to afford them. The kids, who are registered for the program at their schools’ family resource centers, get a certain amount of money to choose whatever presents they want on a day in December.

Bowling said the program helped 150 kids last year, and she hopes to serve at least that many this year. The program serves more children by limiting any one student’s participation to one Christmas every two years, Bowling said.

Williamsburg police officers help kids with the shopping, by reaching up to high shelves, keeping track of the money and carrying the presents to the kids’ parents.

“And the guys love it almost as much as the kids,” Bowling said of the Williamsburg police who help with the program.

Williamsburg Police Public Affairs Officer Shawn Jackson says the Shop with a Cop Day in December always brightens the season.

“Nothing in the world is like seeing a smile on a 4-year-old’s face,” Jackson said. “It just lights up the whole holiday.”

You can still register to run in the Turkey Trot by showing up before the 9 a.m. start time on Thanksgiving. Entry fee is $20. Registration begins at 8 a.m. For more information, call Tracy Croley at (606) 549-7025.