Dear Editor:

The Boothbay Region YMCA’s fourth annual Turkey Trot and first annual Thanksgiving workout class hosted over 150 people on Thanksgiving morning. Collectively, the participants contributed $1,660 in monetary donations, 100 percent of which go directly to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry. Special thanks to Larry Brown for keeping our runners and walkers safe on the 5k course.

As a cause-driven nonprofit, the Turkey Trot and Thanksgiving Workout exemplify the Boothbay Region YMCA’s promise to strengthen our community. Friends, community members and extended families ran, walked and exercised side by side before heading home to tend to their Thanksgiving meals. The donations to the Boothbay Region Food Pantry support our fellow community members who are facing food insecurity.

There are still opportunities to give back and support our local Food Pantry. On Tuesday, December 1, the annual Fill the Bus food drive took place at Hannaford from noon to 6 p.m. YMCA and Bigelow Laboratory’s staff and volunteers partnered to collect food donations as part of #GivingTuesday. In addition, if you join the YMCA before December 19 and bring in 10 nonperishable food items for the Food Pantry, we will waive the $40 activation fee.

Boothbay Region YMCA board and staff