Boosters Club Turns Stadium Renovation Loss into Successful Community Fundraiser

When the Norwood High School football team lost its home stadium to a two-year renovation project, the Norwood Boosters Club also lost its primary source of fundraising revenue: operating the concession stand at home football games.

Recalling the financial squeeze, race co-director Dan McKenna noted, “It kind of picked our pockets… At the time, we thought a road race could really help bring that lost money back.”

In just three years, the Union Warren Turkey Trot has expanded far beyond a basic high school booster fundraiser, evolving into one of the most popular and well-organized fall road races across the South Shore. Scheduled for its third annual running on Sunday morning starting at the Union Warren Savings Bank, the event expects nearly 500 participants—surpassing the 400-runner turnouts of the previous two years.

The race lineup features a 1.3-mile fun run at 10:00 a.m. followed by the flagship 5-mile road race at 10:30 a.m.

Attention to Safety, Professional Timing, and Elite Prizes Drive Growth

Directing the event alongside Jim McDermott, McKenna credited the race’s growing reputation among regional runners to careful planning, a dedicated 80-person volunteer safety crew, and learning from early mistakes.

While the inaugural year relied on manual timing, the directors hired Spitler Timing to handle results, cutting six hours off preparation and delivering fast, accurate times to participants. The race has attracted top-tier regional runners, including Quincy native Bart Petracca, who captured the overall title in both of the previous two years.

To maintain a competitive edge, the Turkey Trot offers an array of high-caliber awards across 16 age divisions:

• Top Finishers: Dress sweaters awarded to first-place winners; official race jackets awarded to second- and third-place finishers.
• Division Awards: Trophies and awards presented to the top three male and female finishers across all 16 divisions in both the 5-mile road race and the 1.3-mile fun run.
• Commemorative Gear: T-shirts provided to all pre-entrants registered prior to October 28.

Supported by primary sponsor Union Warren Savings Bank and local Norwood merchants, the Turkey Trot remains on solid footing even as overall road race participation nationally shows signs of leveling off. As McKenna emphasized: “We’ve listened to runners and we’ve heard their concerns. We know what they like… If we continue to produce a quality product, we can maintain our standing.”

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger