Runners of all ages gathered at Donnelly Park on Saturday morning for a Turlock tradition — the Turkey Trot. There were multi-generational families, co-workers, school groups and a few serious runners who showed up to strut their stuff in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

For Ismael Garcia and his family — Vanessa, Aiden and Iris Garcia — the event has been a family tradition since 2011.

Ismael said he continues to come out for “bragging rights.”

“And making fun of the siblings after they lose. I think I’ve won 10 years out of the whole thing,” he said.

Turlock has long been known for its turkey farming roots. Here are a few fun facts on Turlock’s turkey past:

·         Turlock has been a key part of many Thanksgiving dinners across the country since the 1950s. Products developed by Volk Enterprises, Inc. have been a mainstay for poultry preparation for both home cooks and professionals alike including the pop up disposable cooking thermometer, the Cook’d Right temperature sensor and poultry trussing devices like the Hok Cuff, Handi-Clamp and Clucker-Truss.

·         Former Mayor of Turlock Enoch Christoffersen traveled the world as an ambassador for the local turkey industry. When he sold his turkey processing plant in 1975, he was producing 40 million pounds of turkey products annually, including products he had invented such as turkey pastrami, turkey ham and turkey Canadian bacon. He was also famous for during his turkey imitations and on Thanksgiving Day, radio stations from across the state and the country would call him up to do his signature “gobble.”

·         Stanislaus State used to be know as “Turkey Tech.” the nickname came about in the 1960s after a student turkey judging team did well in a competition against larger more established schools like University of California Davis, California Polytechnic State (Cal Poly), and Fresno State.