Writer / Renée Larr
For 16 years, the Fishers YMCA’s Wishbone 5K has brought the community together on Thanksgiving morning for a tradition that combines health, family, fun and giving back. What began as a community race has grown into an annual holiday tradition for runners, walkers, families, and friends. It is also an important fundraiser that helps ensure everyone has access to the YMCA, regardless of their ability to pay.
“The Wishbone represents giving, together,” says Matt Morwick, Associate Vice President of Center Operations for the Fishers YMCA. “It brings people together around something that is bigger than the race itself.”
The YMCA created the event to help the community rally around its mission while meeting the needs of the people it serves. Organizers aimed to create an opportunity for people to focus on health and wellness while also helping ensure that financial circumstances would not prevent someone from participating in YMCA programs and services. That mission remains at the heart of the Wishbone 5K today.
“I started the Wishbone 5K as a way to contribute to the Y for All Campaign on a larger scale than what I could possibly donate individually,” says Teri Apple, Race Founder. “As a full-time employee of the Y at the time, I was looking for creative ways to bring the community together. What started as a dream quickly grew into an amazing family-focused campaign. It’s so fun to see what it has grown into over the years. It still brings a big smile to my face to see people out and about in the community wearing an old race shirt!”
The race has evolved significantly over the years, becoming a Thanksgiving tradition for families, with multiple generations often participating together. Some participants come to challenge themselves and run their fastest race, while others walk with their children, friends or extended family. For many, simply being together is the most important part.
“There’s a place for everyone at the Wishbone,” Morwick says. “You’ll see serious runners, families, kids, walkers and people just looking to have fun together.”
That inclusive spirit is part of what sets the Wishbone apart from other community races. Participants aren’t simply showing up for a morning of exercise; they’re contributing to a cause that directly benefits their neighbors.
The event raises funds that go entirely back into the community through financial assistance. Those funds help provide scholarships for programs including summer camp, preschool, and YMCA memberships.
In fact, the Fishers YMCA provides more financial assistance each year than it raises through fundraising efforts, which Morwick says makes the organization particularly proud. The impact makes every registration, every mile and every Thanksgiving morning spent at the YMCA meaningful.
“It gives people a chance to start Thanksgiving by focusing on what really matters: being together, being healthy and giving back,” Morwick says. “Their participation is helping another family in our community have an opportunity they may not otherwise be able to afford.”
That spirit of gratitude is especially fitting on Thanksgiving.
For many families, the Wishbone has become as much a part of their holiday routine as turkey and pumpkin pie. Families return year after year, creating their own memories and traditions. Parents, children, and grandparents now participate side by side, making this a familiar part of Thanksgiving morning at the Fishers YMCA.
The 16th annual event will feature a silent auction, giving participants another opportunity to support the YMCA while enjoying the morning. The event’s beloved turkey will also appear on the race course, adding to the lighthearted Thanksgiving atmosphere. And, naturally, pumpkin pie will have a place of honor. The organizers will award race winners some well-earned pumpkin pie as part of their prize.
The goal, Morwick says, is to make the event feel like a celebration and a true Thanksgiving tradition, not simply another race. Reaching the 16-year milestone reflects how deeply the Fishers community has embraced the Wishbone. What began as a way to rally people around a cause has become an event that connects generations while helping the YMCA expand its reach.
Ultimately, the Wishbone 5K is about much more than crossing the finish line. It’s about beginning Thanksgiving with movement, connection, and generosity, and recognizing that a community becomes stronger when its members come together to help one another.
“People are getting healthy, spending time with family and friends and, at the same time, helping make sure someone else in our community has access to the YMCA,” Morwick says. “There’s something really special about thousands of people coming together on Thanksgiving morning and knowing that their participation is helping someone else.”
For more information, visit indymca.org/events/wishbone-5k-fishers-ymca/.
