West campus provides ‘the backbone’ of Silicon Valley Turkey Trot for ninth year

For the ninth year in a row, Palmer College’s West campus played a major role in the 2017 Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, a Thanksgiving-morning fundraiser that supports several Santa Clara County charities.

Organized by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG), the SVTT debuted in 1995 with 1,900 participants, and has since grown to become the largest timed-event of its type in the U.S..

More than 20,000 registrants filled the streets of downtown San Jose to participate in 5K and 10K race/walks that helped raise approximately $1-million for several local charities, including Second Harvest Food Bank (SHFB), the Housing Trust of Silicon Valley, and Healthier Kids Foundation Santa Clara County.

Once again, the Palmer Spine, provided “the backbone” of the SVTT. The multi-segment Spine, constructed with durable foam material, stretches the length of a city block. It draws an enthusiastic response as it makes its way along the 5K course, from SVTT participants, residents observing the parade, and cheerleaders from local high schools rooting for the walkers, runners and trotters as they make their way along the course.

While The Spine drew attention in the 5K, the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics helped event-participants “go the distance” (and recover from their efforts) by providing complimentary sports-care services for the ninth year in a row.

Positioned in the SVTT festival area, the Palmer tent is among the first to go up on race-day — and usually the last to come down, as the Clinics’ team makes sure that all participants who request care, receive care.

Members of the West campus community who helped carry The Spine at SVTT 2017 included: faculty members Mehdi Moossavi, D.C., and Jonathan Slater, D.C.; staff-member Denise Ulett;  and West students Jessica Bentley, Emelia Bracken, Sarah D’Atri, Matthew Glynn, Donald Lacy, Hayley McHugh, Stephanie Morales, Cody Miller, Monica Vetter, Jade Viegas, Nick Westfall and Richard Yu.

More than 100 SVTT participants stopped by the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics tent in the event-festival area to receive care from the Sports Council team, which included:

• Clinicians: Pauline Anderson, D.C., and Ti Pence, D.C..
• Sports Council executive officers Mary-Kathryn Brazil, Nathan Clark, Iannick Rémillard, Korissa Ramage, Kyle Siskar and Ben Whiles.
• Interns: Alissa Banns, Christopher Dorsa, Anthony Haynes, Victoria McCoy, Dustin Lunn, Jered Mclennan, Nikita Predtechensky , Molly Sparks, and Harrison Wagner.
• Clinical Assistants: Mary Kathryn Brazil, Nathan Clark, Ti Liu, Shantai Watson, and Ben Whiles.
• Tent Assistants: Matthew Bailey, Heather Baker, Judy Hyung, Quang Nguyen, Mehrbod Rafia, Yi Ru.

In addition to The Spine and Sports Council, Palmer has also participated in the event as an annual sponsor, and the West Associated Student Government has conducted donation drives in support of the “Can Do Challenge,” which asks SVTT participants to donate canned-food items, which are donated to SHFB.

“Little did we realize the first time we rolled out The Spine (at the 2009 event) that we’d become such a major part of the Turkey Trot experience,” said West Campus President Bill Meeker, D.C., M.P.H., F.P.A.C. (who has walked with The Spine at several SVTTs).

“From the expressions of excitement as The Spine makes its away along the course, to the expressions of appreciation from the participants for the care received from the Palmer Chiropractic Clinics, to the acknowledgements for Palmer from race organizers reaching thousands of people through the PA system, to the media exposure, it’s an amazing day for the College on so many levels!

“I greatly appreciate the efforts of the students, faculty and staff who have helped to carry The Spine each year, and am equally prideful of the students, interns and faculty involved with the delivery of care.  On this day to give thanks, I’m grateful to the many who, time and again, have so graciously given up part of their holiday to go ‘the extra mile’ for Palmer College and the chiropractic profession.”

Once again, The Spine garnered considerable media coverage, including four photos in the photo-gallery that accompanied the SVTT recap-article in the San Jose Mercury News.

The Silicon Valley Turkey Trot page on Facebook linked to “share” several of the photos and videos of The Spine posted on the West campus Facebook page. One of The Spine videos has received nearly 2,000 views.