There’s nothing that the covid pandemic of 2020 hasn’t affected, and the SVLG Foundation annual races were no exception. Our Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot is usually the biggest Thanksgiving Day race in the country. But due to safety concerns, our cherished 16th annual event was forced to switch to a virtual format. We weren’t entirely sure how participants and sponsors would feel about a virtual version of our event.
Which is why we were BLOWN AWAY when the event SOLD OUT a week before Thanksgiving. From sponsors to competitors to fun-runners, we heard a constant refrain from people that the Turkey Trot is their favorite (or only) running event of the year. They said that even with running it on their own route, that they wanted to support the race and keep their (and our) Thanksgiving traditions alive. We were happy to have their support and, more important, the five local charities we support with the race got what THEY needed – especially at this critical time.
This brings us to Santa Run Silicon Valley. We hoped that we’d get that same spirit for our other holiday race, which took place yesterday, December 20th. And…YOU DID IT. You went two for two in selling out our virtual events and supporting our charity work this holiday season. We are humbled that so many people – some of whom are facing difficulties and hardships in their own lives – have run along with us to help so many others in our community.
So we thank YOU for helping us to make it happen, We just hope that our runs give you – our members, our runners and our supporters – something to rally around and a way to feel connected to one another. It’s never been more important when we all have to be so far apart. We are so grateful to all of you who have stood by us this year and we can’t wait to celebrate and run again with all of you – IN PERSON – at our starting line in 2021!
PS – You all looked GREAT!
-Chris Weiler, Race Director, Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation | December 21, 2020
