The 11th annual Turkey Trot and Fall Festival, hosted by the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association (TLHOA) and L.A. City Council President Paul Krekorian, not only brought more than 400 community members together for a 5K run/walk and 1K kids’ fun run on November 19, but also broke both attendance and fundraising records, with $56,000 raised — almost double the previous year’s total.
A celebration held at Red Maple on February 22 thanked supporters and presented checks for $15,000 to charitable partners East Valley Police Activity League Supporters (PALS) and LAFD Fire Station 86 to bolster their efforts to keep the community safe.
“The Turkey Trot has gotten better every year, and this past year’s event was unbelievable,” TLHOA board member Scott Morris says. “It was so wonderful to see the team-building, camaraderie and spirit of the community that pulled everything off. Thank you to all of our sponsors and community members who showed up and participated. We believe this is becoming a signature Toluca Lake event.”
The February gathering also honored the many people whose hard work and commitment fueled the success of the Turkey Trot. Krekorian was on hand to commend TLHOA board members and recognize the following community members and businesses: Logix Federal Credit Union (presented to Priscilla Gonzalez), Craig Strong Group (presented to Craig Strong), Vanguard Home Health Care and Premium Collision Center (presented to Jack Balyan), UBS Financial Services (presented to Jason Friedman), Robin and Lenny Garner,A5 Events (presented to Ryan Kugler), Miceli’s Restaurant (presented to Frank Miceli), Toluca Lake Magazine (presented to Mark Deitch) and Red Maple (presented to Jim Orozco and Brian Veskosky).
“So many of our neighbors are grateful for the privilege to be able to live in Toluca Lake, and one of the things we all feel so great about is that we have so many community-building events — there’s always something going on,” Krekorian says. “Most people don’t think about how some of these great events come together, but all of those who volunteer their time, sponsor the event and open up their businesses are the ones who make this community so special.”