November 22, 2005

Resplendent in cowboy attire, Heidi Stowman corralled the student body and most of the rest of the campus community Nov. 21 for what she called the “129th annual Turkey Trot.”

While the actual number of years might have been a “wee bit exaggerated,” she said, the fun wasn’t.

Costumed contestants, runners and walkers, freebies and major prizes – including a 30-gig iPod – joined with crisp, clean fall weather and a brilliant blue sky to make the chapel-time event another in a long list of bonding times orchestrated by the Associated Student Body.

“This event is planned in order to bring students together to have fun and fellowship, two things that serve to create a better sense of community on campus,” said Justin Officer, who coordinated the event. “This, in turn, creates opportunities for students to live out Romans 12:10.”

The scripture passage he referred to: Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.

And outdo each other they did.

A spritely, pipe-playing, bare-chested (in the 40-degree weather) Shakespearian Pan – Jim Young – and the joyful lollipop-licking child – Jordan Newton – who followed Pan’s every dancing step took first place for costumes. Second place went to a proportionately-correct and vividly-bedecked two-person turkey – Karyn Allen and Sarah Whaley.

Other costumes included three Vegas sisters in ‘fros and microphones, The English Department, with Lydia Eaton as Dr. Collette Tennant and Emma Buscher as Mrs. Tammara McGinnis. Mr. Jim Hills (aka Caleb Crossman) slept in and missed the event.

Winning runners included Chad Hunsaker – first male through the finish line; Charissa Hunter – first female through the finish line; and Bob Mathieson – first faculty through the finish line.

Each person present at the Turkey Trot received one free raffle ticket, and at least 40 prizes were given out – Starbucks and Dutch Brothers coffee, Applebees, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, and several pizza options, plus Christian Supply, Jamba Juice and Old Navy, among others.

Other raffle tickets were sold for $1 each; Corban President Reno Hoff bought the first one. These prizes – purchased by ASB – included two $50 Warrior Bucks certificates; a $75 gas card from Chevron Mighty Mart; $100 gift card from Winco Foods; and the grand prize: a 30-GB Apple Ipod, won by Quinn Neely.

“It is great to have local businesses support our school, and we are able to show mutual support by buying prizes from them as well,” Officer said. “This aspect of the event goes to not only strengthen our school’s community, which is the purpose of events such as the Turkey Trot, but also strengthen the community of which our school is a part.”

Running commentary by Emcee Heidi Stowman set the pace for the energy-charged hour. Following tradition established by the late Doug West, who masterfully hosted the event for the last several years, Stowman was clad in bib overalls and a western shirt complete with garnishes of red bandana, plus the requisite straw cowboy hat and boots that were to pass for western. Stowman showed she could handle a crowd.

“Doug has always been a major central figure in the Turkey Trot,” Officer said. “His were some pretty big shoes to fill, to say the least, but there was no one else who could have done a better job than Heidi. Like Doug, she has that natural ability to bring the best out of people and get them to have fun, which is a great and unique gift.”

--By Karen L. Willoughby