Annual Event Brings Community Together for Thanksgiving Tradition
The Hendricks Regional Health YMCA in Avon has hosted its Thanksgiving morning fundraiser, Gobble Gallop, since 2016.
This year, organizers introduced a new Wobble to the Gobble training program eight weeks prior to the event on Nov. 27.
They’ll also hold their annual National Anthem competition to find a local performer or choir to sing before the race begins. You may have even spotted Chase the Turkey around Avon in the weeks leading up to the Gobble Gallop. The YMCA releases videos and clues to help residents track him down — all in good fun leading up to the big day.
Most of all, the goal is to bring the community together while raising funds for a good cause.
“Hendricks County is a close-knit community, and the YMCA in Avon is right in the middle of things,” says Roland Smith, Hendricks Regional Health YMCA executive director. “This event brings everyone together in the heart of the community, and it continues to grow year after year. We invite families to come out and burn some calories before they eat Thanksgiving afternoon and have a great time.”
Avon resident Mandy Evans and her family have made Gobble Gallop a Thanksgiving tradition. Mandy, her husband Patrick, and their two daughters, Olivia and Amelia, are a running family who enjoy staying active and giving back.
“We moved to Avon in February of 2018, and we looked for good schools and a nice gym in the area,” Evans says. “That nice gym happened to be the YMCA, and it was our first stop. We got a gym membership right away, and there has been this overall welcoming feeling from day one. Everyone was so receptive and happy to have us.”
When the Evans family moved across the country, their Thanksgiving traditions changed. Mandy suddenly found herself in charge of preparing the entire meal rather than going to a grandparent’s house or sharing the work with extended family.
“It made sense to start the day out right and give back to a community that has given so much to us,” she says. “You go for a run, get cleaned up and start cooking the meal. Last year, I thought ahead and made pumpkin pies the night before. Things changed when I was solely responsible for the meal, but it worked out because the race is at 8 a.m. You get that done and move on to what you were going to do.”
Evans has run the Gobble Gallop every year since 2018, and her oldest daughter, Olivia, will participate in her fourth race this November.
“She runs cross-country for her middle school,” Evans says. “The first year she asked to get involved, she was eight years old, and it was the day before the race. So that was a little late, but when she was nine, she ran it and really enjoyed it.”
Many appreciate the Gobble Gallop for its inclusivity. Families can bring strollers and wagons with children in tow, and walking or running the 5K is encouraged. Evans says she even had a friend walk it last year with a boot on her foot.
For Olivia, the event has become a bit more competitive. At 12 years old, she now runs in the 14-and-under category.
“I always tell them that no one can take away the feeling of how well you ran a race,” Evans adds. “Anything can happen, and she’s potentially running with high school teens. But what’s most important is not winning — it’s that we’re doing this for a good cause. We want to give back and have fun. I think she also really wants to win that pie.”
The prize for winners in a variety of age brackets — starting at 6 years old up to 56 and above — is a pie to bring home to the Thanksgiving table, a fun and fitting incentive for those needing a little extra motivation.
According to Evans, the event is a win-win for everyone.
“You get out and get your exercise,” she says. “It’s amazing to join more than 1,000 other participants during this busy season, but for us, we’re also giving back to this gym we stepped foot in several years ago when we moved across the country. My first 5K in Avon was at Gobble Gallop, and I hope I’m instilling a tradition in my girls — maybe not to run, but to always give back.”
In 2024, the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA’s largest fundraiser of the year raised more than $400,000 to support financial scholarships for community members who qualify.
These scholarships help children take swimming lessons, join youth sports leagues and attend preschool at discounted rates.
Gobble Gallop takes place from 8-10 a.m. Nov. 27. Participants can register for the 5K at runsignup.com/Race/IN/Avon/GobbleGallop5k. There is also a virtual 5K and a Leftover 10K virtual option.
Those who register before Nov. 11 will receive a long-sleeved T-shirt with the Gobble Gallop logo, with the option to upgrade to a hoodie or beanie, and a custom finisher or completion medal.
