KATIE BRAY
EVENTS
Katie Bray and family attend the 2022 Turkey Trot
Give Thanks
for the Turkey Trot Annual Event a Delicious Way to Start the Day By Jake Ten Pas
A
ny way you slice it, MAC’s Turkey Trot 5K is worth carving out time for, even on a day as busy as Thanksgiving. Sure, exercise is a great way to alleviate potential guilt for the impending feast, possibly even serving to enhance metabolism in preparation for the coming onslaught of sides. Beyond that, it sets the mood and can put the extra pep in members’ steps to help them enjoy every last morsel of food, family, friends, and festivity. “I do it because I always know that I have more energy throughout the day if I work out,” says member Amanda Park. “Thanksgiving is a long, fun day, and I want to start it out right. When I begin my day with a run, or a workout, it always ends up being a better day for me.”
36 | The Wınged M | NOVEMER 2023
Park grew up accompanying her parents to group exercise classes at MAC and then picked up running when she moved away from Portland. It wasn’t long before a jog became her new Thanksgiving-morning routine. After returning to the Rose City, and upon learning of the Turkey Trot, she was excited to combine these healthy, happy traditions into something her own kids could enjoy. “I knew that MAC would do a great job of creating the course and making it a fun event for all families and not just me. I brought my then-6-year-old son, Joony, to run it with me, and also my younger brother. So, it was truly a family affair.”
