Beloved Thanksgiving Day tradition benefits Caritas of Austin
AUSTIN— This year is the 30th anniversary of the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot, Austin’s favorite Thanksgiving day tradition with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting
Caritas of Austin. And YES, it is happening in 2020—virtually. Registration is now open at www.thundercloud.com.
“We hope that this will be the one and only year for a virtual Trot, and we plan to make it unique and special; one for the memory books,” says Mike Haggerty, ThunderCloud
Subs co-owner and Trot run executive director.
“We’re encouraging everyone to do their virtual run or walk on Thanksgiving day, in their own neighborhood, or anywhere in the world that they happen to be. On Thanksgiving I hope to see 20,000-plus people running in their neighborhoods and sharing a communal pre-Thanksgiving workout. It will be different for sure, but hopefully the spirit that has ‘super-charged’ the Trot for the past 29 years will energize our community once again, and the spirit of doing it together will live on. 30 years, one community.” Trot Registration is only $20 per adult participant, and $10 for kids until the prices go to $25 on Oct. 15. Registrants have their choice of the traditional Trot long-sleeved T-shirt,
OR a $10 gift card to ThunderCloud Subs, a Trot headband and wristbands, bandana, or custom mask. This year the event will have socially-distanced packet pickup four
weekends in a row at sponsor First Texas Honda, or packets can be shipped for an extra charge.
First Texas Honda will again donate a new Honda Accord for the Trot raffle ($25 per ticket or $100 for five) with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Caritas. Tickets can
be purchased online or at packet pickup between now and Thanksgiving day.
The ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot holds a place in the hearts of thousands of people (200,000 people to be exact) who’ve participated over three decades—some with
several generations of their families. The event’s fans have collected Trot T-shirts for many years, come up with creative costumes, formed competitive fundraising teams, or
simply looked forward to burning calories before their Thanksgiving feast. For many people, ThunderCloud Subs has also been in their lives for decades (ThunderCloud
was founded in 1975).
“More than ever this year, all of us at Thundercloud Subs are very grateful for the support of our customers and our community,” Haggerty says. “They make it possible
for us to keep our employees working, and to continue to put on the Trot to give back, even in these challenging times.” As it has for all three decades, ALL proceeds from the Trot benefit Caritas of Austin, and its mission to end homelessness in Austin—a mission that is more urgent than ever this year. The ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot has raised $4.1 million for Caritas since the event began in 1991, helping thousands of people to get off the streets, realize their full potential, and contribute to the community. “I cannot overstate the positive impact that 30 years of support from the ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot has had on Caritas of Austin and the people we serve,” says CEO Jo
Kathryn Quinn. “The $4.1 million in funding from the Turkey Trot has helped Caritas prevent people from losing their homes with short-term financial support, resettle thousands of refugees fleeing persecution, and house thousands more who experienced homelessness, helping them to build well-being. But it’s not the funding alone that is so important.
Through this event, ThunderCloud Subs has made Caritas of Austin a part of a beloved Greater Austin tradition, sharing our mission with tens of thousands of people every
year and elevating the issue of homelessness in the minds and hearts of so many. They are truly a valued partner in our fight to end homelessness in Greater Austin.”
