As you may already know about us here at Foley Griffin, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) has a place close to our hearts. Our dear friend, James Joseph, was diagnosed with blood cancer years ago but, thankfully, was able to defeat the disease, in no small thanks to the dedicated and caring doctors who helped him throughout his treatment. In honor of him, and the doctors and researchers fighting against leukemia and lymphoma every day, we started hosting an annual Massapequa Turkey Trot to raise money and awareness for the LLS.
We could not be more excited to announce that the 2016 Massapequa Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning was the greatest yet! Last year, we were overwhelmed by the community support, having counted 1800 people in attendance. But this year, we registered around 1900 runners and countless friends and family members who showed up to cheer them on!
Our sincerest thanks need to go out to so many people and parties, including:
- The Turkey Trot crew: Organizers and volunteers from our community helped tremendously in making this event a possibility, from all the careful planning to the race packet pick-up the night before to the actual day of the race. Who could forget the band that played wonderfully during the opening ceremonies? Or our two volunteers in turkey costumes brightening up the morning even more? Thank you, everyone who gave your time and energy to the 2016 Massapequa Turkey Trot.
- The sponsors: In addition to being sponsored by Foley Griffin, the Turkey Trot was sponsored by Joseph Law Group, P.C., Modells, Home Depot, and JW Wholesale. We really cannot thank these great people and organizations enough for sponsoring this event that means so much to us and our community.
- The runners: Of course, the warmest thanks go to the runners. Without people like you willing to support those in need, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society would not be able to do all that it does. Whether you showed up at 9:15 – bright and early considering it was Thanksgiving – for the 5K or felt like the Fun Run was more your speed, you made a big difference and we truly appreciate it. If you were one of the winners presented with an award, an extra congratulations to you as well!
We also want to show appreciation for everyone who signed the remembrance board that was set up in honor of the loved ones who had battled cancer in the past, or who are currently battling it now. In addition to the Thanksgiving blessing, the recognition of dignitaries, and the singing of the National Anthem as sung by Attorney Griffin’s daughter, we feel the remembrance board really exemplified the feeling of community togetherness in the face of blood cancer and other diseases.
All in all, this was a huge success and we thank everyone so much for making it possible. We hope to see you all – and even more friends – next year! Have a joyful holiday season from everyone here at Foley Griffin.