“This is our 16th year of doing the Turkey Trot here at Cerritos College and it’s a food drive, ” Dr. Ni Bueno, an organizer of this fundraiser, said.
The event, which will take place in Falcon Square on Nov. 21 at 11:00 a.m., is a race that stretches out to a mile and a half run or walk around the campus, although racing is not a requirement.
There will be prizes that will be given out to the first place female participant, male participant and staff member who finishes the race first.
There will also be a raffle, so patrons who take part in the race will also have the chance to win a prize when it is over.
“These gifts are donated by the Student Health Center, staff development and the Norwalk (Community) Coordinating Council. (They) give us gifts for that as well,” Bueno said.
Along with the Turkey Trot, there will also be a Tot Trot.
Children from the Child Development Center on campus come out and will run through different obstacle courses during the same time of the Turkey Trot.
“It’s a great experience because you get to work with the professionals that ran the Turkey Trot and you get to work with the kids and the teachers together,” kinesiology major Michelle Nino De Rivera said .
Nino De Rivera was a student volunteer last year who came out to help the kids run the Tot Trot.
“Part of it is a food drive but the other part of it is bringing the campus community together to do something of service to others,” Bueno explained.
“The food is donated to the food bank of the City of Norwalk, and the food bank provides baskets for families who are in need around the holidays.”
Betra Pena, who works for the City of Norwalk’s food bank, said that the food that is donated has helped many families over the years in their time of need.
Once the food is sent over to the food bank, the workers there will then sort out the food and check for anything past its expiration date, and it will be sorted out evenly and then handed out to families in order of family size and then distributed.
Anyone is allowed to participate in the event.
“We have people who bring their friends, their babies in their strollers, but no dogs; no animals,” Bueno said.
Early registration for the event is encouraged, but participants can also register the day of the event in Falcon Square.
The fee for this event is one non-perishable food item and students who pre-register will also receive an extra raffle ticket.
Anyone with more questions can always visit the Health Department for more information.
