Throughout the month of November, people participated in various events in order to celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday was celebrated in different ways with events taking place in Farmington and neighboring towns in Hartford County, encouraging the harmony and relationships that Thanksgiving stands for.

To no one’s surprise, Christmas celebrations began to appear shortly after Halloween. Between Christmas music on the radio and stores displaying Christmas trees, it was easy to believe that Christmas was right around the corner. However, Thanksgiving was celebrated on Thursday, November 28, and citizens had many ways to celebrate the holiday before the Christmas season truly began.

The football team traveled and played the annual Olde Canal Cup game against Plainville High School on Thanksgiving day for a league game. The teams faced off at 10 a.m., and it was the Indians last game of the season, losing with a score of 27-21. Parents and siblings of players traveled with the team in order to continue the family Thanksgiving festivities. Players and coaches used the holiday to encourage the importance of team relationships.

“Our current team loves to see former players come back from wherever they are, it is the sense of family and tradition that makes the program strong… I’m hoping that as the tradition continues more and more people just see it as part of the holiday – football, food, and family,” head football coach Chris Machol said.

Many people took their celebration to the road and participated in one of the races in the Hartford County area. In Farmington, Connecticut, the Malibu Fitness Center hosted a 5K Turkey Trot. Farmington was one of several towns to host a “Turkey Trot.” People attended the O’BRiley 5K Turkey Trot in Collinsville, Connecticut, or the Bottoms Up Organization 5K Turkey Trot in Avon, Connecticut. Those who were interested in running a higher mileage race participated in the 4.7 mile Manchester Road Race in Manchester, Connecticut.

The Interact Club decided that community involvement was thereason for the season. On November 23, members of the club went to Stop & Shop to hand out fliers promoting a Thanksgiving food drive sponsored by the Farmington Police Department. The food drive benefited local families in need of food for the upcoming months, especially hoping to help families have Thanksgiving dinner.

“The food drive supports low-income families in Farmington and Unionville by providing them with all the essentials for a Thanksgiving meal,” club President Daniella Medvedovski said.

Club members volunteered their time in order to create a better holiday for others less fortunate than them.The awareness spread by the students increased the donations received by the Farmington Police Department, allowing more families to celebrate Thanksgiving.