Thousands of people showed up to support their community and raise money for charity at the 20th annual Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot.
Taking place in downtown San Jose, the Turkey Trot included many opportunities to get involved: walking/running the 5K, running the 10K, participating in the Kids Fun Run, participating in the Virtual Run, entering the “How I Thrive” contest, entering the costume contest, volunteering to support the runners, and simply donating. Donations from the event go to four charities: Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County, Healthier Kids Foundation, and The Health Trust.
“The race, unfortunately, serves as a reminder of how many in our community do not have basic necessities, even as so many others are extremely well off in the same area,” said Ashvin Kannan, who is vice president of Ads Platform Engineering at Apple and has run in the race for over a decade.
The Applied Materials Turkey Trot was started in 2004 and has since become the largest Thanksgiving Day race in America. In 2022, it was also California’s largest race of the whole year. Every year, the race has offered a way for the community to support its members who have less, as well as to get exercise and strengthen bonds.
“For many years, my entire family — with my wife and two kids, and sometimes even my dog — participated. One year, my wife and daughter volunteered to work on the race course instead of running,” Kannan said. “It very much heightens the local sense of community. The people who live nearby come out to cheer and play music, so everyone seems to be in this together.”
Many students, like fourth-year-runner and Lynbrook High School freshman Everett Jou, appreciate that the Turkey Trot doubles as an athletic competition and a community event.
“If you’re fast, the goal is to win, but for most people, it’s just to hang out with your friends and do something social. I think it’s really great for the community because a lot of people from the area come out and enjoy the event and it brings them together,” Jou said.
Other youth also volunteered to help the runners.
“My friend and I are volunteering with the post-race refreshments. We bought snacks and organized them in a booth, and now we’re using these signs to get people to come over,” said Rucha Majumdar, a senior at Milpitas High School.
Majumdar and her friend wore orange shirts and held orange signs on wooden planks, proclaiming “Post-Race Refreshments.” Volunteers with these signs stood out among the sea of blue-shirted runners. Through her first year volunteering, Majumdar recognized the significance of the event.
“The purpose of the run is to raise money for Thanksgiving. It’s really good because it helps a lot of people who don’t have food or are in need of basic necessities to have a Thanksgiving dinner,” Majumdar said.
In its first 19 years, the Turkey Trot donated over $12 million and collected over 250,000 pounds of food. It also helps boost awareness of its beneficiaries.
“I heard of Second Harvest from the Turkey Trot, and since then have been separately supporting their efforts,” Kannan said.
Turkey Trots are a nationwide tradition. The first was in Buffalo, New York in 1896, with only six runners. Over the years, more runners joined, and more races were organized across the country by unaffiliated organizations. Eventually, another element was added that is now significant to the spirit of the event: costumes. This year, the Bay Area hosted nine different Turkey Trots, including another in San Jose, but the Applied Materials one was the largest.
The event is expected to keep growing.
“There are more people now than when I started,” Kannan said.
As it grows, it will continue to serve its community in many ways.
“Runners get to bond with family, raise money for people in need, and get exercise. It’s a really good experience,” Mujumdar said.
