ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Kevin Spencer has been dressing up as Roanoke’s favorite turkey at the annual Drumstick Dash since 2006.
The race is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Roanoke Rescue Mission, providing funds for the mission to continue its work of feeding, supporting, and caring for those in crisis.
A connection through volunteer work with the Rescue Mission is what led Spencer to the gig.
He had picked up running about four years prior to the first Drumstick Dash and quickly found that he could use his love for the sport as a tool for motivating others and practicing his spirituality.
He had no idea that those goals would lead him down this path.
“I thought I was going to be speaking at churches or something, all dressed up,” he said. “I didn’t know that God with his sense of humor said you will be speaking at churches and motivating people, but you’ll do it dressed as a turkey.”
This time of year, Spencer is out and about in the community raising awareness for the Drumstick Dash to help raise participation.
These days, he’s widely recognized as “Dash” the turkey to anyone who has spent considerable time in Roanoke.
However, it was not always that way.
“When I first started out, people didn’t know what it was and they thought I’d just lost a bet or was handing out coupons for frozen turkeys,” said Spencer.
He stands out in any crowd with a suit designed by the Hollins University Drama Department using nothing but neckties that have been donated to the Rescue Mission.
On Wednesday morning, the suit (with Spencer in it) made an appearance at a weekly training session hosted by Fleet Feet of Roanoke at Patrick Henry High School.
The group is led by Pat Bateman, who makes his contributions to the Rescue Mission by collecting shoes for donation outside the Fleet Feet store.
“That’s ongoing so if you have an old pair of shoes, don’t throw them out,” said Bateman. “They have a second life waiting.”
As of Wednesday, more than 4,500 people have already registered for the race, which race officials say is more than 300 more than the mark was at this time last year.
That will be a lot of people for Spencer to keep up with on race day, but he says he’s used to it.
In a typical year, he expects to pose for upwards of 300 photos, which he occasionally stumbles across on Facebook or when running into former racers at the race each year.
He arrives on the course hours before anyone else, some years as early as 5:30 a.m., giving him time to walk the course and prepare for the day.
Once folks begin to arrive, the excitement begins, and Spencer gets to share in the fun with thousands of his closest friends.
“I do not get cold,” he said. “No matter how cold it is that day, I’m the warmest person because everyone wants to hug and get their picture taken with me that day.”
There is still time to register for the drumstick dash and you can sign up now by clicking this link.