SWAMPSCOTT — The Swampscott Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Organization hosted its annual Turkey Trot on Saturday, and though the Planning Committee is still sifting through donations, the event has currently raised $17,000. The total amount is still being determined.
Planning Committee member Cara Gilman noted that the members are still counting Venmo donations, and the students have a fundraising page that’s open for another week. The event was held at Swampscott High School’s track.
She explained that the tradition began back at Hadley Elementary School. When the Clarke, Hadley, and Stanley Elementary schools merged into the new Swampscott Elementary School for the 2024-25 school year, the PTO knew it wanted to keep the event a recurring staple for the community.
“The Turkey Trot had been a Hadley Elementary School tradition for well over a decade; it was started by Gargi Cooper and her wonderful cohort of Hadley PTO volunteers, whose children have since graduated from High School,” PTO volunteer Sierra Muñoz said. “As the school communities (and) traditions merged, we knew this was something we all wanted to bring forward and grow… It’s such a positive event and a fun, active way to bolster student enrichment support.”
Gilman said, “The first event opened at 9 a.m., and every half hour we had a race for each grade. We also had 15 adults run in their own race… It was really cool to have both parents and caregivers participate.”
She said that 287 students participated in the event. She also cited help from the other members of the Planning Committee: Mandy Boyd, Kasia Hatfield, Muñoz, Erin Oregan, Katharine Ronck, Vee Ryan, and Laurie Strazullo.
Gilman said that it’s “been incredible to see the momentum that the event gained.”
“It’s been so fun to allow ourselves to take this historic tradition and build on it. To let it grow… It’s one way in which it shows how special both the town and school community are,” she said.
There were 22 parent volunteers helping with registration, as well as handling the donation and concession tables.
The event also featured an appearance from the elementary school’s chapter of Girls on the Run, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization designed to enhance participants’ social, emotional, and physical skills to successfully navigate life experiences.
There was also a fundraiser for Anchor Food Pantry at the event, where community members filled four boxes of food throughout the day. Grab The Bagel donated bagels so fourth grade students could sell them and raise money, and Whole Foods donated fruit for the cause. The fourth grade raised $343 from their bagel stand.
“It was a great feeling, especially around this time of the year. It was a really powerful way of bringing everyone together for a feel-good event, especially with the local organizations that came out to help,” Gilman said. “Our kids work hard every day, and I think it was a great way to celebrate the fun they bring to the community.”
