Trotting and treating on turkey day
They say the average American consumes more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat on Thanksgiving Day. It is also reported that it takes between six and seven hours of moderate exercise to burn off that many calories. Perhaps it was that information, coupled with the desire to support the Burbank Community YMCA, that inspired hundreds of folks to brave an early mist on Thanksgiving morning to participate in the Y’s annual Turkey Trot.
Gearing up for the simultaneously run 5K, 10K and Children’s 1K Fun Run, the throng at the starting gate had swelled to more than two blocks long as Mayor Jess Talamantes and Parks, Recreation and Community Services board member Mickey DePalo were joined by Councilman Gary Bric and the Y’s executive director, J.C. Holt, to officially start the pre-feast footrace shortly after 8 a.m.
Among the notables spotted trotting the streets of downtown Burbank included former Mayor Jef Vander Borght, former Police Chief Tim Stehr, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Warner Bros. Entertainment Lisa Rawlins, local developer Michael Cusumano and his wife, Caroline, and Burbank Assistant Community Development Director Michael Forbes.
Others who participated in the event that will help local families as well as individuals of all ages be able to participate in Y programs included the Y’s Senior Marketing and Communications Director Susan Sebastian and Development Director Philip Di Nova, Burbank school board member Roberta Reynolds and Chris Augustine, Allison Hastings Knowles, Lauren Ciulla, John Dilibert, Andre Murray, Bryan Rush, Theresa Zapata, Maggie Lee, Kristen Chin, Martin Kayondo, Fam Herrera, Tom and Lilah Schulte and Robert Martin, who was accompanied by his Chihuahua-poodle mix, Pocket.
Since 1924, the Burbank Community Y has been dedicated to promoting healthy living. To help them accomplish that goal, many Burbankers have made it a tradition to buy their Christmas tree from the Y’s tree lot that is now open offering trees up to 13 feet, fresh wreaths and garlands. This year’s lot is on Burbank Boulevard at Victory Place. For more information, call (818) 563-1644
While some Burbankers were trotting on Thanksgiving, others were delivering treats to those who otherwise would not have had a holiday feast. The Community Service Foundation, the charitable arm of the Burbank Realtors Assn., heeded an urgent call from the Burbank Temporary Aid Center who reported that their shelves were empty. “We provided 144 freshly baked pies for Thanksgiving,” said the foundation’s president, Christopher Habitz. “It was wonderful to see Burbank come together to support this need in a really tough year. We are so thankful that we were able to help.”
Among the Realtors who delivered pies were Marty Del Cid, Dana Russo, Karen Volpei, Marion Chase and Brian Paul.
