By Matthew Avitabile
WINDHAM — The third annual Turkey Trot held on Thanksgiving last week on the Windham Path was a great success, bringing together locals, visitors, and second home owners. It also collected numerous food items for those in need. Last year, the event featured a coat drive and Windham businesses partnered to bring a food drive. This includes working with the Main Street Community Center on the project. After the cuts to food stamps, Windham Ashland Jewett reached out to the community center about working together on its backpack programs for students. Community members reached out requesting help, especially as the pantry in town is open for three days per week. The community center has been working together with Wylder Windham since July to collect food.
Briars & Brambles owner Jen Schwartz described the efforts for the food drive as very positive, and credited the team at Wylder Windham.
The group collected food and conducted a raffle to highlight local businesses. All of the proceeds went to the community center. The turkey trot on the Windham Path had more than 200 people attend.
“It’s coming full circle for me,” said Schwartz.
She described John, the owner of the resort as “amazing” and credited manager Kat Quinonez as the “brainchild” of the project.
Schwartz also credited Quinonez for creating the "shop locally baskets" with items from local merchants that were raffled off, raising money for the Main Street Community Center. "Starting this turkey trot 3 years ago and seeing how much it’s grown and the feedback has been great to be a part of and we cannot be more excited for 2026!" said Quinonez.
Schwartz said that the idea to donate coats and foods as an entry donation has been a great success and a “really good partnership between Wylder,” other businesses, and the community center.
“We can help fill a need,” she said.
“It just epitomized” much of the “good spirits” of the community, Schwartz said.
Schwartz said that Wylder showed the merits of “true partnership.”
The plans for the exact distribution of the food will be announced soon.
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