GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Thirty mile per hour winds and a wind chill in the teens didn't stop Grand Haven neighbors from kicking off their Thanksgiving at the 13th annual Turkey Trot Thursday morning.
WATCH: Cold weather can't stop Grand Haven's annual Turkey Trot
Over 200 people participated in this year's 5K despite the harsh weather conditions, supporting a local nonprofit called Outside In.
"I was surprised anybody came out this morning, it's a really bad day," said Jennifer McVoy, Outside In executive director.
Runners Paxton Harris and James Capodilupo said their turkey hats and holiday spirit helped keep them warm during the challenging conditions.
"We're out here just running trying to burn off the food we're going to eat later," they said.
The Turkey Trot supports Outside In, which provides outpatient mental health services for people and veterans by using horses.
"It supports our Heroes for Horses program which is a program that pairs veterans with retired thoroughbreds off the track," McVoy said.
Neighbors from around the region came out Thursday to show their support, including the Babcock family who were visiting from New York. They said Thursday's Turkey Trot was a great way to spend time together while supporting a good cause.
"When you really think about it what all the veterans, all the hard things they did. This is pretty easy in comparison so it's great to be able to come out and support them and enjoy it with my family and all the other people who braved the cold," the Babcock family said.
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