It was the kind of thick foggy morning when the sound of ferry horns could be heard all the way over in Battle Point Park as hundreds of runners made their way to the start line for the first in-person Turkey Trot in three years.

About 900 runners showed up to start their Thanksgiving Day by running a 3K or 5K race before the big day of feasting.

This year the event was facilitated by Helpline House with help from sponsors to support the food bank, counseling and case management.

“Running on Thanksgiving morning ensures that our community has the services they need, ​​” said Helpline House executive director Maria Metzler as she shared the impact that the economy has had on local families. “It is really exciting to see this many people in one place, their impact is huge. They don’t even know what an impact they have on their community.”

Helpline House is serving 50 more clients this Thanksgiving than last year. As the costs for food and gas increase, so have the number of people using the food bank.

The Cox and Kusuda family ran the race dressed as pie slices. There was a lattice, lemon, pecan, pumpkin and cherry; even their dog, Bear, wore a colorful Thanksgiving-themed bandanna around his neck. They joined because it’s part of their holiday tradition as it gets them going early in the morning. “It gives me a guilt-free day for Thanksgiving,” said Cherry Slice, also known as Kyle Kusuda.

The winner of the 3K was well-known BI runner Greg Nance, closely followed by Bainbridge High School sophomore Ben Fleming, who was right on his heels for a near-photo finish. Fleming, who is on the lacrosse team, said he’s been participating in the run for a few years and did not know that he was chasing the ultramarathoner, asking “Who was that guy?”

Proctor and Deborah Schenk had big smiles on their faces as they saw the clock near the finish line. Proctor was happy to beat their 20-minute record, which they did by six seconds. “Everything else today is gravy,” he said.