The 73rd Turkey Trot festival kicks off Friday with two big changes–a new sponsor and hopefully no live turkeys.It was the tradition of live turkeys being tossed from planes that led to the Yellville Chamber of Commerce dropping its sponsorship of the state’s longest continuous festival. In April, the Mid-Marion County Rotary Club stepped forward to sponsor the annual fall event, but only if no live turkeys are on the premises or dropped from airplanes.The festival gained national attention last year as news organizations from coast to coast reported, what would eventually become, a controversial tradition of throwing turkeys from a low flying plane.
At the time the Mid-Marion County Rotary Club announced it would sponsor Turkey Trot, the organization’s president elect, Stan Duffy, said if a pilot flies by Turkey Trot this fall and drops turkeys from the sky, that will be the end of the festival.
For about 50 years, “phantom pilots” have flown airplanes by the festival and released live turkeys. Most of the birds spread their wings and glide to the ground, but some of them don’t open their wings and die on impact. The practice has incensed animal-welfare activists.
On its website, the Mid-Marion County Rotary Club says for years it has sponsored the event’s parade. After the chamber dropped the event sponsorship, members of the community reached out to the rotary club to assume sponsorship of the entire festival.
From local businesses that rely on significant sales during the festival to longtime residents remembering the tradition of bringing the community together for family, friends, and high school reunions, Rotary listened and voted to sponsor the festival as an important fundraising effort to support the local youth in Marion County.
Fifty years ago it was an accepted procedure to re-populate wild turkeys in the Ozarks by tossing them from airplanes. The Rotary Club members agree this tradition is no longer viable. Controversy surrounding the cruelty of dropping turkeys from planes or buildings plaguing previous sponsorship efforts has conditioned Rotarys sponsorship. In the event turkeys are dropped, Rotary will have to withdraw sponsorship of the Turkey Trot Festival.
Turkey Trot activities continue on Saturday beginning with the Mid-Marion County Rotary parade at 10:00 with David Doshier as grand marshal.
For a full list of activities, visit the Flippin Chamber of Commerce website at Flippin Chamber
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI