Times Remembered – Recycled
Mary Jean Yon,
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! It’s not just a catchy little song by Jack Johnson. It is the cornerstone of waste management hierarchy and is designed to get people to think before they simply throw things away. And guess what? It works in the running world too; especially with your running shoes! If your household is like mine, we can skip the part about reducing the number of shoes you buy as that advice is futile. But once you have had your fun with a given pair of running shoes, you now have an option available that will ensure they will be reused and hopefully even recycled one day.
Diana Caldwell has stepped forward as the woman with a plan! She started collecting running shoes this fall and matches up those shoes with people in need. Her intended recipients range from those who frequent the Shelter, to those served by the Refuge House and even include the younger athletes at local schools that might not be able to afford a brand new pair of running shoes on their own. Eventually Diana hopes to establish a partnership with Nike or some other vendor that chips and shreds old running shoes and uses the material to construct running tracks. Think what she could do for those young athletes then!
So why do I tell you these things? Aside from the fact that I am a firm believer in the 3-R’s (remember-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), I also want you to bring your old (and hopefully clean) running shoes to Turkey Trot this year. Diana’s collection station will be located next to the U-Haul that Judy Alexander and Brian Corbin man every year as they too collect goods such as clothing and toiletries to be donated to those in need. The U-Haul project has been wildly successful and we hope that collecting running shoes will follow suit.
Speaking of Turkey Trot, I hope you are all set to join us again on Thanksgiving day for this fun-filled family-oriented event. The race will feature chip timing this year which will be a first for road racing in Tallahassee. No more crowding and long lines at the finish line as runners’ times will be recorded as they glide effortlessly across the timing mats at the finish.
Another first centers around the greening of the race as compostable eco-cups will be utilized at the water stops along the course and paper bags made of 50% recycled content will be used at pre-registration in lieu of plastic bags. Environmentally friendly bags will also be used for trash disposal. It’s just a start but hopefully every year there will be more added to the list of environmentally friendly additions to the race.
You can preview the recycled bags on Sunday, November 23rd at the Music Fest which is the best pre-registration deal in town! Come register for Turkey Trot while listening to some of Tallahassee’s best musicians play their favorite songs. The fun starts at 2:00 p.m. at Sittig Hall in the League of Cities Building on Kleman Plaza and goes until 6:00 p.m. It’s the best way I know to cash in on that family discount!
On a more somber note, this year’s Turkey Trot will be missing two competitors in the Male 70-79 year age group. Jere Moore, the man we give credit to for enlisting his beloved Kiwanis Club to vastly improve parking on race day, passed away on September 12, 2008. Shortly after that, we lost long time club member and Turkey Trot regular Mike Schneider. Both men were familiar faces at this race and no doubt had hoped to toe the starting line for the 2008 races. May their memory live on in all the many ways they touched our lives.
And last but not least, remember that it is that time of year again for awards nominations! If you have a suggestion for Runner of the Year, Hall of Fame, Race Director of the Year, Triathlete of the Year or any of the other categories, we’d like to hear from you. Nominations are due November 30th and the form is posted under upcoming events on this web site.
M.J.