Zack's Place, an enrichment center for special-needs people, was founded in 2006 by the parents of Zack Frates, who had cerebral palsy. They wanted to have a place where their teenage son could go to learn, make new friends, and be creative. Although Zack passed away in 2011, his legacy lives on and assists countless people of all ages with a variety of skills.

Dail Frates, the Executive Director of Zack’s Place encourages everyone to come out and take part in the event. The route is wheelchair accessible, and even if you don’t think you’re up to participating in the 5K, she said to come down anyway. You can register, pick up a tee-shirt, and then walk around The Green and just soak up the atmosphere; once you do it, she guarantees you’ll come back year after year.  It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year, and enables them to offer all their programs free of charge.

“Thanksgiving is a day of giving and being thankful for all our blessings,” said Frates. “And often it’s time with friends and family. What better way to spend your day than by giving to a non-profit and walking with your friends doing something that’s healthy and outdoors? You’ll get that wonderful feeling of giving.”

Frates went on to say that many individuals and families who participate come back year after year. One of these is the Huck family. Karl Huck, who has been running the race for many years, has been joined by other family members in the past. This year, 30 members of  his family will be participating in Zack’s Place Turkey Trot.

“We now have a 6 year old special needs grandson who lives in Woodstock,” said Huck. “When he was diagnosed at 2 1/2 years old or so, we said, you know, this has now really come close to home for us.”

His family members are coming from all over, including Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and of course, Vermont. “We have a great big Thanksgiving party,” said Huck. “This is a way for us to support Zack’s Place. Our grandson’s name is Logan and he has flaming red hair, so my wife bought us all red hats for us to participate as Team Logan.”

To register for this wonderful event, stop by Zack’s Place at 73 Central Street in Woodstock, Monday through Friday, from 10:00 to 5:00, and pay with a check or cash. Or, to register online and pay by credit card, go to www.zacksplacevt.org/turkey_trot.php or www.runsignup.com and look for Zack’s Place Turkey Trot.