Fayetteville State University Community Engagement Story
Fayetteville State University – Community Engagement Story
“Turkey Trot Goes the Distance: Fayetteville State University Students Embrace
Walker-Spivey Elementary School Each Thanksgiving”
What began 8 years ago as an expanded student community outreach activity to a public school has become one of the most enjoyable and worthwhile activities Fayetteville State University students participate in on an annual basis. The FSU Turkey Trot activity goes the distance each year to provide turkeys and other food items that make up a complete Thanksgiving dinner for selected families in need who have a child enrolled at Walker Spivey Elementary School in Fayetteville (NC).
The Turkey Trot outreach project began in 2006 when the student activities department at FSU decided to expand its “Bronco Building Bridges” outreach program. FSU students had already been working with the then-named Ferguson Easley Elementary School. They interacted with children in various ways including arts and crafts, games based on relevant academic topics, and any other activity the principal and social worker suggested. FSU initiated an idea to expand its outreach at Easley Elementary by helping to ensure selected families in need would have a complete Thanksgiving dinner. Hence, the Turkey Trot activity was launched as a fun approach to achieve that end.
The Turkey Trot is a relay race that involves four students on each team. They compete by running or perhaps some other creative way getting around the FSU track handing off a frozen turkey at one-half lap intervals. Each team member must carry the turkey in a different way than the others on the team. That’s when it has become interesting. Some students have carried the turkey in their arms, in a book bag or back pack, and some have even tried to ride a bicycle and carry the turkey. The event is both fun and physical for all involved.
Student organizations purchase their own frozen turkeys and bring them to the annual Turkey Trot competition on FSU’s campus. Over the years, the participating organizations have doubled, beginning in 2006 with approximately 15 and last year in 2013 increasing to approximately 30. Organizations include fraternities, sororities, ROTC, Student Veterans Club, Bronco Men and Bronco Women, academic clubs, faith-based clubs, residence halls, student leaders, and the student government association. Occasionally, university employee groups participate as well.
The FSU students have embraced the Turkey Trot competition which concludes each year with an award ceremony. The winning organizations receive trophies and ribbons and all others receive a certificate of participation. Staff from the FSU Office of Student Engagement deliver the turkeys and trimmings to the school, which is now Walker Spivey Elementary School, packaged for each family that has been selected by the school administration.
“FSU students enjoy the Turkey Trot competition knowing how it helps to provide full Thanksgiving meals to families in need. In fact, this is one of our most important and successful community service projects. It’s amazing to observe it in action and to see how successful it has been for eight consecutive years since 2006, said Julian Capel, FSU Director of Student Engagement. “We plan to continue this activity which combines into one a great deal of fun, competition, and physical fitness with a community outreach project for a worthy cause.”
FSU has learned throughout the yearshow appreciative the families are. Many families have said that they didn’t know if they were going to be able to afford a full Thanksgiving dinner that year and that this donation made a difference.
According to Sheena Patterson, Social Worker at Walker-Spivey Elementary School in the Cumberland County Schools district, “The FSU Turkey Trot Program has provided as many as 40 Turkey dinners for families in the Walker-Spivey community for more than 6 years. Our school community has more than a 95% free and reduced lunch rate and families depend on this program to provide their families with a traditional Thanksgiving meal.”
She continues, “We are so thankful for the Turkey Trot program because we are able to meet the needs of our students and their families. Community partners such as FSU have helped to create a culture at Walker-Spivey that we do everything possible to help our students succeed.”
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