In recognition of her 36 years of service to the City of Alexandria and the Del Ray community, retiring Alexandria City Council Member Del Pepper has been selected as the Grand Marshal of the 46th Annual Alexandria Turkey Trot.
“No one shows up for our Alexandria small businesses, non-profits, and community events more than Del Pepper,” said Del Ray Business Association President Lauren Fisher. “In this season of gratitude, we wanted to recognize and thank Del for her long-time support of the Alexandria Turkey Trot, and for her life-long dedication to making the City of Alexandria the best place to live and work.”
A former social worker, Pepper was elected to the Alexandria City Council in 1985, after serving as an aide to then-Mayor Charles E. Beatley. She served as vice mayor from 1996-1997, 2003-2006, and 2007-2009. She co-chairs the Beauregard Street Corridor Task Force, the Alexandria-Arlington Task Force on the Waste-To-Energy Plant and the Welfare Reform Committee (Alexandria Works!). She is active with the Commission on Aging, Commission on Information Technology, Facilities Naming Committee, and the Council of Governments Air Quality Committee and Board of Directors. She was recently elected Corporate President of the COG. She is a member of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, where she also chairs the Regional Resources Committee; she also serves on the boards of numerous Alexandria non-profits.
A Thanksgiving morning tradition, the Alexandria Turkey Trot will take place on Thursday, Nov. 28 at 9 a.m. This fast, flat, USATF-certified course runs through the heart of Del Ray, and is the Mid-Atlantic’s premiere Turkey Trot, featuring over 5,000 runners, including some of the fastest elite runners on the east coast.
The five-mile run/walk goes through the heart of Del Ray, starting and ending at George Washington Middle School at the corner of Braddock Road and Mount Vernon Avenue. The event is Metro accessible to the Braddock Road Metro Station. Dogs and strollers are welcome, and have their own starting area.
In the spirit of the holiday, runners and spectators are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items on race day to support ALIVE!, a non-profit serving those in need in the City of Alexandria. During the last in-person Turkey Trot in 2019, the event raised over $6,000 to support ALIVE!’s Food Program; participants also donated over 2,000 pounds of food for ALIVE. The Alexandria Turkey Trot is also the primary fundraiser for the Del Ray Business Association, which hosts a wide range of community events year-round and represents the independently-owned restaurants, retailers, and businesses in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria.
Pre-registration is highly recommended. For complete information on the race and to register, visit www.alexandriaturkeytrot.com.