Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K 2023

Short review

What is the Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K? 

The Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K is the annual Thanksgiving Day race held in Garner’s White Deer and Lake Benson Parks.  Family and friends, both human and canine, gather to enjoy a brisk holiday morning run or walk through the parks to help raise money in support of Freedom Ride Rescue's mission to help abandoned, neglected and abused animals in North Carolina. 

Race options include 5K and a 1M Fun Run. Both the 5K and 1M courses are relatively flat paved trails and the seasonal beauty of these two parks is spectacular. Thanksgiving themed costumes, decorated wagons, strollers and baby joggers are encouraged.  Well socialized dogs are welcome on a 6’ or shorter leash - retractable leashes are not permitted.

Why support the Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K?

A study by Best Friends Animal Society found that in 2018, 55,900 dogs and cats were killed in North Carolina shelters.  Only California and Texas had higher numbers. Local shelters and rescue organizations do great work but finances are always an issue.  All too often the lack of funding is the difference between life and death.

Freedom Ride Rescue is proud to be the crazy dog lovers who skip out on work to transport dogs from all over the state to their excited fosters’ homes … who stay up late searching shelter pages for that next “Freedom Ride” potential …. who volunteer countless hours making rescue a reality!

Freedom Ride Rescue is run by volunteers. We are all doing this while juggling our own lives, jobs and families … so bear with us as things may not move as quickly as an excited adopter wants! If you have energy, a love for animals and a little bit of time to spare, consider joining our team!

We are foster based: we have no facility and every one of our adoptable (and not quite ready to be adopted) animals are in homes where families are teaching trust, love, basic manners …. preparing your future dog ready to be the best addition to your family that he can be!

As fosters, we are willing to have our heart break after we love, rehabilitate and nurse an unwanted, unloved animal until they prance away with their fur-ever person – often never looking back – as they start their most life’s wonderful chapter: the one as a cherished pet.

So join our road to making freedom rides happen! We are a wonderful, tight-knit family needing volunteers, fosters, donors …. and people willing to care.

Register Early! 

Since it's inception, The Freedom Ride Rescue Turkey Day 5K has been a very popular and well attended event.  The first year was capped at 500 participants and we sold out.  The next year we exceeded 600 and we expect more this year!    This year's race will be limited to 750 participants.  Registration fees increase as race day approaches so register early!