The Michael Treinen Foundation will host its seventh annual Turkey Trot 5K run and 3K family walk Thanksgiving morning, allowing members of the community a chance to be active before the big meal and family and friends to remember the life of Michael Treinen.
“It’s a fundraiser for the charities we sponsor,” said Kelly Treinen, Michael’s mother. “It’s a great way to start the Thanksgiving holiday. We don’t do it very early; 9 a.m. is a respectable time. We are done and torn down by 11 a.m.”
What began as a neighborhood run in 2008 quickly moved to downtown Noblesville.
“It’s been great. Every year we have grown,” Treinen said. “Our goal is 1,500 runners this year.”
Treinen said the timed event has participants from 12 states and this year will include a satellite race by a family in Gwen, Va.
“They are wearing the T-shirts and running at their home because they can’t come,” she said.
Before the race begins, a balloon lift will be held. Treinen said balloons will be available for $1 and include a variety of colors related to cancer. The race begins on Logan Street in downtown Noblesville and heads east on 17th Street to Field Drive before ending at Forest Park. The top 10 times for men and women receive pies.
“This is a big year, Michael always wore the No. 7,” Treinen said.
Michael, a three-sport athlete in high school, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia three weeks before high school graduation on May 11, 2007. After five intensive chemotherapy treatments, Michael was officially cancer free on Dec. 11, 2007. Unfortunately, his remission did not last long and he relapsed on Jan. 25, 2008. Michael needed a bone marrow transplant to survive – matches were found immediately but due to insurance delays and the inability to get his cancer under control, he never got a transplant and died May 25, 2008.
“We never want to lose the reason why we are there,” Treinen said. “Michael’s the reason, but there is money we can raise and people we can help.”
Treinen said her son had a personality that allowed him to get along with children, peers and adults.
“He could talk to anybody. He was goofy, he wasn’t afraid to put himself out there,” she said. “He truly lived life to the fullest every single day. Sometimes it got him into trouble.”
Treinen said one story that best describes her son was when he was in the hospital with terrible migraines the week before he died. He joked around with one of his nurses and, after she left, Treinen told her son he didn’t need to put on a show for everyone. He replied, “Don’t you think that everyone should smile every day?”
“That was him, who he was,” Treinen said.
Participation is a flat fee donation of $25. Treinen said the funds are used to support Riley Hospital for Children, where Michael was a patient, the Sparrow Club of Indiana, leukemia and lymphoma cancer research and to families that are struggling or affected by cancer.
For more information or to register, visit www.themichaeltreinenfoundation.org or https://secure.getmeregistered.com/MTFTurkeyTrot.
