Arlington Bridge Builders To Host Arlington Turkey Trot

20 years ago, the pastor of Christ Church of Arlington was looking for a way his congregation could serve and connect to the community. That motivation led to the creation of the Arlington Turkey Trot, a 5k fun run on Thanksgiving Day that benefits local charities. From its humble beginnings, it’s grown into a holiday tradition involving over 4,000 runners who raise over $250,000 each year. A community leader recently called it “Arlington’s premier philanthropic event” because of the size and purpose of the Turkey Trot. It truly is an amazing event. Where else can you see people dressed in turkey costumes run five kilometers for the sake of others?

But with that success, it’s also become more than a single church can coordinate. And so in January, Billy Boyce, the current pastor of Christ Church, reached out to see if Arlington Bridge Builders would be willing to run it (pun intended).

Candidly, my first reaction was, “that’s impossible.” I had just started as Executive Director and wanted to focus on refining our mission, communications, and ministry organization, before taking on anything new. Especially as something as big as the Turkey Trot. “Maybe we could do this a year from now,” I thought.

But as I listened to Billy, I imagined the lead pastors talking at a monthly fellowship, about what we could do together that would demonstrate to Arlington who we are and why we exist. It would need to be something that tangibly seeks the shalom (flourishing) of the community where God has sent us. Something that could bring together all the disparate parts of Arlington, north and south, and all kinds of ethnicities, professions, and income levels. And because we’re embodied souls, it wouldn’t be another heady symposium for adults, but something physical and fun for all ages, even the youngest kids.

And because Christ calls us to love and serve our vulnerable neighbors, it should benefit those who are on the frontlines of caring for the poor, the brokenhearted, the victims of abuse or neglect, the sick, the outsider and the isolated. The event could be a fundraiser for local nonprofits who are doing such good work.

And it’d include the whole structure of Arlington: businesses, county agencies, civic groups, coming together to sponsor the event, raising even more money to help restore broken places and people. And it’d be such a meaningful community event, that county officials would want to come out and say a few words.

That’d be enough for a truly great event. But ideally, it’d happen on a day off, a holiday where people had time to focus on family and friends. And, well, this is asking for a lot, but if only it could take place on a day that was set aside to give thanks to God for his goodness and blessings. A day of Thanksgiving.

And the pastors would look around at each other and say, “that event already exists. The Arlington Turkey Trot.”

And so it was easy to tell Billy that hosting the Turkey Trot makes perfect sense for our partnership of churches. Other pastors agreed and wanted to help. And so Arlington Bridge Builders has gladly accepted the opportunity to steward the Turkey Trot, continuing its original vision to seek the flourishing of all of Arlington.

The logistics of organizing a fun and safe race involving over 4,000 runners and numerous corporate sponsors, all to raise money on behalf of local charities, is significant. Fortunately, Race Director Cortney Weber agreed to continue coordinating the event, and she’s grateful for the opportunity to broaden the Trot’s appeal. And involve even more volunteers, so keep that in mind . . .

While we’ve decided Arlington Bridge Builders will not benefit financially from the race, there are many benefits nonetheless. The Turkey Trot will be a wonderful way to connect our churches to the community, and vice versa. Working with community leaders, nonprofits, and neighbors will help church leaders know and understand the concerns of our community. Most importantly, the event will be a tangible expression of Christ’s love for all people, especially the most vulnerable. And point people to the heart of God himself.

I saw that in a meeting with leaders of one of the nonprofit beneficiaries, which cares for victims of domestic violence. I’ve known of their good work for many years. In our meeting, I said I was thrilled the Turkey Trot would help support the compassionate ways they see and serve people who otherwise might be unseen and forgotten—and how their work reflected the heart of God himself. The very first time in all of Scripture that God calls someone by their name, was to a victim of domestic abuse, who was on the run with her son, cut off in the wilderness. Her name was Hagar. She was alone and despairing, when God met her, personally, in her wilderness experience. And in that encounter, her heart was opened to God’s heart, calling him “The God Who Sees” (Gen. 16). I told the nonprofit leaders that in their work, they are imaging the very heart of God by seeing and caring for vulnerable people, and we are honored to be able to help you.

This coming Thanksgiving, we’ll help raise a lot of money for some great causes. And have a lot of fun doing it. But the greatest benefit by far, will be those holy moments where someone who’s hurting, broken, or alone, senses that God sees them, too.

By Scott Seaton