The Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot: A Forty-Plus Year Holiday Tradition

BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN | PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE DAN GIBBONS TURKEY TROT

Thanksgiving is a time for family traditions. And not all of them happen around a dinner table. For many Elmhurstians, the Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot (DGTT) – held every year on Thanksgiving morning- is as much a part of the holiday as the turkey itself.

It all started with an idea to raise money for local food banks. The year was 1983. Elmhurst native Dan Gibbons couldn’t sleep. WGN overnight talk show host “Chicago Ed” Schwartz mentioned that Mayor Jane Byrne planned to spend $300,000 on fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Schwartz verbalized his anger that many Chicagoans were barely getting by and lacked the basics, such as food. And the problem wasn’t just in the city, but also in other parts of Cook County, as well as DuPage.

“When I heard that, I couldn’t stop thinking about how many people were struggling just to put food on the table,” recalls Gibbons. “It wasn’t just a Chicago problem — it was happening right here in DuPage County, too.”

At the time, Schwartz was the top overnight radio personality in Chicago. He used his influence to organize the first Good Neighbor Food Drive. The response morphed into the country’s largest-ever single-day food collection. $200,000 and several tons of food were collected within a 24-hour window.

Costumes and creative themes add an extra dose of fun to the annual Turkey Trot.

Gibbons was inspired to become involved in Schwartz’s Good Neighbor Food Drive. The subject of food insecurity came up when he and several other friends were coaching football for Visitation Parish School that autumn. The friends decided to organize a 5K fun run on Thanksgiving morning to collect money, as well as food, for anyone who needed it for the holidays. Since Gibbons did much of the proverbial legwork, the event was dubbed The Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot.

“That first year was really just friends and family,” says Gibbons. “We had handmade numbers, no sponsors, no fanfare — but it felt good to do something for others.”

Seventy-four friends and family gathered that Thanksgiving morning for an event that would become an annual Elmhurst tradition. $520 was raised and proudly presented to Schwartz at his second annual Good Neighbor Food Drive.

The following fall, Elmhurst Police Lieutenant Bob Jones asked Gibbons if he planned to hold another race that year. While Gibbons liked the idea, it was already September, and if the race was going to happen, he would need sponsors. Jones reached out to several members of the Elmhurst Police Benevolent Association, an association that assisted local charities. Jones made a few calls to Elmhurst Federal Savings, Schiller Real Estate and Billings Equities. They chipped in to raise a total of $1,000 – enough to make the second year a reality.

Last year’s trot had between 7,500 and 8,000 registered runners. A total of $250,000 was raised to benefit 17 different local agencies. These days, applications are submitted to DGTT by organizations requesting grants and reviewed by the foundation’s committee.

“It’s incredible to think how this small-town run has grown into something that supports so many local agencies,” says Christine Fogarty, Associate Director of the Dan Gibbons Foundation. “The need keeps growing every year — and so does the generosity of this community.”

While this is an event committed to eradicating food insecurity, the tone is fun and lighthearted. Some teams go all out with costumes and themes. Pre-racing events begin at 8:45 Thanksgiving morning, before the race. Spirito Singers perform an anthem medley, followed by the Blackhawks’ very own Jim Cornelison kicking things off with the National Anthem. The Lima Lima (a formation flying team based in Naperville) flight team flies over, weather permitting. Afterward, the first, second and third place male and female winners are acknowledged with medals.

Last year, the trot had between 7,500 and 8,000 registered runners.

There are several families in town that have participated in the DGTT since 1984. Last year, the Frank Catalano Family registered 55 family members! This family, along with a few others, turn their past race day t-shirts into quilts.

“Some of these families have been with us since the early days,” Fogarty adds. “When you see three generations lining up together on Thanksgiving morning, you realize this event means more than just a race.”

Even COVID couldn’t touch the tradition of this event. That year, the race was turned into a virtual event with 3,000 participants registered from every corner of the globe. Somehow, a shipping era created a SNAFU with t-shirts. It seems the DGTT attracts good people, as all runners were understanding. More than 100 registrants had to be called and the error explained. Although the t-shirts were late going out, they made it in time for Thanksgiving. That year, the DGTT took place virtually, with families and friends calling each other over Zoom to keep each other in the proverbial loop. All had their annual race shirts on.

Thanksgiving is a great time to take a good look at our blessings. If you’ve never thought about this fun and meaningful tradition, consider getting some friends together and registering. Thanksgiving morning is the perfect day to see people and get some exercise before our great American holiday. And it’s for a great cause.  “Thanksgiving is about gratitude,” Gibbons says. “And the trot is our way of turning gratitude into action.”

To join the 42^nd annual Dan Gibbons Turkey Trot, visit dangibbonsturkeytrot.com.