Burning calories couldn’t be so rewarding.
As Thanksgiving approaches, the Columbus Police Department is gearing up for its annual Turkey drive to put smiles on the faces of needy locals.
In order to help the CPD raise money for the program, the Frank Phillips YMCA in Columbus is taking initiative and offering a Zumbathon event. The event, titled “Trot for the Cause,” will take place Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the downtown Y.
The event is a fundraiser for the CPD’s Thanksgiving Day community program, Barbara Bigelow, YMCA Community Relations Director, said, and all proceeds go to the CPD.
A minimum donation is required, but participants have the option to donate in different ways. Bigelow said residents can donate $10, or they can give $5 and a one-gallon can of green beans or cranberry sauce.
“If someone wanted to donate food, some people like to do that, well if they want to donate a gallon of green beans, that’s $4.98,” Bigelow said. “So that’s $5. We’re saying they can bring the gallon and $5.”
There is no maximum amount residents can donate, as any contribution is welcomed to help put food on the plates of the elderly and disabled citizens of Lowndes County.
“(The CPD) delivers meals throughout the county. They have a list of names and addresses of people who can’t cook for themselves,” Bigelow said. “A lot of these people get fed through Meals on Wheels, which does not deliver on the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend. So a lot of these people have their Thanksgiving meal through the police department. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have a meal on Thanksgiving.”
Rhonda Sanders, CPD community relations officer, said the Turkey drive event started with a group of local women trying to help the less fortunate during Thanksgiving.
“The police department got involved around 10 years ago,” Sanders said, noting volunteers are welcome and needed to help on Thanksgiving Day.
“Anyone can volunteer. Volunteers need to be able to fix plates and serve.”
The cooking of the meals takes place at Stokes-Beard Elementary School Thanksgiving Day morning starting at around 8 a.m. Then, volunteers deliver the meals to the many addresses signed up. The meals include: turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans, candy yams and corn.
“We usually finish fixing all the meals and such by around 11 a.m.,” Sanders said.
The goal is to feed 1,000 people this year, Sanders said, which is an increase from last year when the program put smiles on the faces of 800 hungry people.
“Anyone can drop off turkeys Monday through Thursday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Nov. 17 at the CPD,” Sanders said.
The annual event has taken place for two decades now and has grown each year.
“The big purpose of doing this, (is) because we have elderly people that have assistance, but don’t get meals because it’s a holiday,” Sanders said. “These people weren’t getting meals on holidays, so they couldn’t eat then. So after we discovered this had been happening for a while, this (program) started happening and it’s been going ever since.
“I take my kids and teach them how to give back, because it’s good for them to learn that sharing and giving back is important.”
However, this is the first year the Zumbathon event takes place before the Turkey drive. Bigelow said she has no idea how many will show up, but she’s hoping for 100 to raise $1,000 in money and goods.
Bigelow said she received confirmation from one person who will show up: Mayor Robert Smith.
“We’ll see if we can get him to Zumba,” she said.
Zumba is a dance done to the tune of Latin music. The different types of dances include: samba, salsa, hip-hop, and cha-cha.
“It is a tremendous workout. If you get a hard Zumba workout, you can burn 800-1,000 calories in an hour,” Bigelow said. “And it’s fun. You dance a lot of the time.
“It’s probably our most popular fitness program right now at the Y.”
But you don’t have to Zumba to help out and give to the program.
“They can come Thursday and if they don’t want to participate, they can watch and have fun,” Bigelow said, noting all checks should be made payable to Columbus-Lowndes Parks and Recreation Department, who is teaming up with the CPD this year for the event.
For more information regarding the Zumba event, call Bigelow at 328-7696. If anyone wants to be put on the list to receive a meal, call 244-3500.
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You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
