Thanksgiving Fun Run draws roughly 1,500 participants

Early last Thursday, while others peeled potatoes and prepped birds for holiday tables, some 1,500 men, women and children hit Foothill Boulevard to participate in the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge’s annual Thanksgiving Fun Run & Food Drive.

For the past 22 years, the event has drawn crowds from down the street as well as the nation’s four corners, many of them runners seeking a top placing in the adult 5K run or the 1K children’s race that follows it.

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Cheryl Vigen, of La Cañada, strides to the finish line in a pilgrim costume at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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The Graham family, mostly of Pasadena, decked out with turkeys on their heads, arrive to Memorial Park to complete registration for the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Runners make the downhill run on Foothill Blvd. on their way to the finish line at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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A turkey hat, which was popular, on a cold morning at the start of the 5k race for the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Andrea Thune, of Chino Hills, dresses as a turkey at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Former California Assemblymember Anthony Portantino pretents to run to the finish in first place with his arms raised, excaiming to the audience, “I’ve always wanted to do this” at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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The start of the run at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Erin Turner, of Pasadena, warms up with the crowd at Memorial Park at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Children take off at the start of the kid’s run at the Salvation Army Glendale Corps and Community Center Thanksgiving dinner in Glendale on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Several runners with pets ran the 5k race at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Philip Thomas, 18, of La Crescenta and the Crescenta Valley cross country team crosses the finish line in first place at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Rosa Del Toro makes the corner from Foothill Boulevard onto La Cañada Blvd. on her way to the finish line in first place for women at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Brendan Smith, 4, has his race bib attached to his shirt by his mom Tracy Smith, of La Cañada at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015. This race is Brendan’s second, running this race last year when he was three.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Runners at the start, waiting to begin racing on Foothill Boulevard at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

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Runners gather at Memorial Park to warm up at the Community Center of La Canada Flintridge Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday, November 26, 2015.  (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

This year, the first-place winner among adult competitors was 18-year-old La Crescenta resident Philip Thomas, who clocked in at 15 minutes, 34 seconds.

The leading female runner was Rosa Del Toro, whose completion time of 18 minutes, 18 seconds scored her a second consecutive win, as well as a prize pumpkin pie, awarded to only top competitors.

Among those cheering on the crowds were state Sen. Carol Liu (D-La Cañada Flintridge), as well as LCF Mayor Pro Tem Jon Curtis, and fellow council members Mike Davitt, Terry Walker and Len Pieroni.

The food drive, which started days before the event at all La Cañada Unified school campuses, collected nearly twice the amount donated last year, according to community center Executive Director Maureen Bond, who reported the center’s 20 collection bins were overflowing with items to be given to the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station for distribution.

Additionally, more than $500 in cash was donated to the sheriff’s department’s annual Food and Toy Drive, which benefits area families in need, Bond said.

“We appreciate all of the sponsors, donors and participants,” Bond said in an email. “We are especially appreciative of the city of La Cañada for its behind-the-scenes efforts and for allowing us to have this event.”

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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine