When greater than 20,000 individuals hit the streets of downtown San Jose for the Utilized Supplies Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, they’ll be a part of a practice celebrating its twentieth anniversary this yr.
Carl Guardino nonetheless remembers waking up together with his spouse, Leslee, to a KCBS radio report about how 20,000 individuals have been beginning their Thanksgiving morning with a run to help native charities. The one downside was that run was in Sacramento, not San Jose.
”We thought, ‘Why doesn’t any person try this right here?’,” mentioned Guardino, who was CEO of the Silicon Valley Management Group on the time. “Then we realized, maybe somebody was us.”
1 of 11
Increase
There are Turkey Trots everywhere in the Bay Space now, however the Utilized Supplies Silicon Valley Turkey Trot stays the gold customary. Folks include their co-workers or members of the family, a whole lot costume up in costume even when they don’t participate within the official costume contest and folks line the race route via downtown San Jose to cheer everyone on — whether or not they’re working the 5K or 10K, strolling the course or pushing a stroller.
However, like most issues in Silicon Valley, it started as a startup.
Each Leslee and Carl Guardino have been each aggressive runners — Leslee Guardino was a longtime triathlete — however beginning a race from scratch was one thing new for them. Every little thing began falling into place when Utilized Supplies Vice President Joe Pon referred to as Guardino to let him know that the Silicon Valley big would signal on to be the run’s title sponsor.
“With that green light, we were literally off to the races,” Guardino mentioned.
However the huge query in 2005 was — would anybody get up early on Thanksgiving morning to run via the streets of downtown San Jose? Every week earlier than the race, the reply didn’t look promising as solely 100 individuals had registered. There have been truly extra volunteers signed up than runners at that time.
However about 1,000 extra individuals registered in that final week, and much more confirmed as much as register on the morning of the race — delaying the beginning by about 25 minutes. Ultimately, 1,932 individuals took half in that preliminary race. There have been 3,200 within the second yr, 6,400 the next yr and 9,600 the yr after that.
“By about year 12 or 13, it became the largest timed Thanksgiving Day run in the world, and it held that title seven straight years,” Guardino mentioned.
However Guardino mentioned the important thing to creating the race an actual success was focusing it on the neighborhood advantages.
“The three-legged stool on which we tried to build the Turkey Trot was build community, help the needy and start the holidays in a healthy way,” Guardino mentioned.
Greater than $12 million has been donated over these 20 years to the race’s beneficiary companions — presently the Well being Belief — the More healthy Children Basis, Second Harvest of Silicon Valley and Second Harvest Meals Financial institution of Santa Cruz County. And with extra individuals within the Bay Space needing assist than ever earlier than, these companies have usually mentioned they’re very grateful for the race’s members and the large community of Silicon Valley firms that sponsor the race.
The Turkey Trot was simply the beginning, too. A number of years later, the SVLG Basis began the Santa Run to help Christmas within the Park, and later Coronary heart & Soles, a spring run that initially was began to place salad bars in colleges and which continues to help youth health and wholesome consuming. After Carl Guardino left the Silicon Valley Management Group in 2020, he began the Stars and Strides run to profit the Valley Well being Basis.
When Ahmad Thomas took over as CEO, he knew that retaining the Turkey Trot going as a “virtual” run through the COVID-19 pandemic — and bringing it again in particular person in 2022 — have been vital to the neighborhood the group was serving.
“It’s been an honor of mine to build upon this tradition and continue to grow and scale this race and achieve a positive impact,” Ahmad Thomas mentioned. “Carl has been so kind, and that legacy of kindness in our community is at the core of this event. Those who participate in it and have the opportunity to give back are better people for it. And our community is better for it.”
Carl and Leslee Guardino shall be on the race Thursday, as is their Thanksgiving custom. Their 20-year-old daughter, Jessica, has participated in each race and is now a Division I cross-country runner. Their daughter, Siena, shall be singing the Nationwide Anthem to begin the race.
“It’s what we do as a family,” Guardino mentioned. “We hope this lives on well beyond us and continues to grow.”
EARLY THANKSGIVING: Tanya Moniz-Witten has been president at San Jose Water for lower than a yr, however Thursday she acquired to take part in Operation Gobble, one of many utility firm’s most heartwarming occasions. In partnership with the California Water Affiliation, San Jose Water distributed Safeway reward playing cards to a number of nonprofit companies within the valley to assist households dealing with hardship this yr.
The companies nominated by native elected officers have been: East Palo Alto Senior Heart and Fondo de Solidaridad de Mountain View; West Valley Neighborhood Providers; Mandas Amino Y Amistad (M.A.Y.A) Providers; Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County; the Afghan Coalition; and Sunnyvale Neighborhood Providers.
WALL BUSTING: Normally, you see elected officers lining as much as shovel grime or reduce ribbons on a brand new constructing. However Friday, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and Councilmember Dev Davis grabbed a sledgehammer and took a couple of whacks on the ranger station slated to be demolished on the Guadalupe River Park’s Confluence Level downtown.
“This may have been a good idea when it was built,” Mahan mentioned, “But it’s overstayed its welcome. It’s unused, it’s been abandoned, it’s unfortunately been lived in, had fires and trash. It’s become a symbol of blight in one of the most important gateways in our downtown.”
The station, which was initially in-built 1997 however has been vacant and unused for greater than a decade, has been a goal for vandalism and graffiti lately. Then intention is to show the area into an open plaza with views of the river and the chance for academic experiences.
“This is arguably the best ground-level view of the city anywhere in the city, and it’s finally going to be revealed,” mentioned Carl Salas, a member of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy board, who additionally took some swings with the hammer.
He wasn’t the one one. Guadalupe River Park Conservancy Government Director Jason Su, Backyard Metropolis Building CEO Jim Salata and even Commonwealth Membership of California CEO Gloria Duffy donned laborious hats and took their photographs.
I’m no therapist, nevertheless it appeared like a few of them might have been venting their frustrations on the poor wall. If the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy had charged residents $5 for a 5-minute session, they may have made a mint.
POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE: In case you’re nonetheless attempting to make sense of the Nov. 5 election, Garrick Percival, chair of San Jose State’s political science division, is right here to assist with an unbiased evaluation. He’ll be giving a web-based presentation for the South Bay Democratic Coalition at 7 p.m. on Nov. 25 to cowl how pollsters and pundits missed the mark. Go to www.southbaydemocraticcoalition.org for info on the right way to attend.
Initially Printed:
