University of New England

Medical students' 'Turkey Trot' raises fund for Biddeford Free Clinic

BIDDEFORD, Maine - On a day when cities and towns across America paused to remember the sacrifices of their veterans, a group of younger Americans trotted up to make sacrifices of their own.

More than a dozen medical students from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM) organized a 5K Turkey Trot on Nov. 11, 2006 to benefit the Biddeford Free Clinic. On a chilly but sun-soaked morning, more than 85 runners completed the race to raise $1,700 for the BFC. Medical student clubs and local businesses covered all race expenses.

The Biddeford Free Clinic is a non-profit 501 (C) 3 tax exempt organization established in 1993 to provide medical care for the uninsured in York County in Southern Maine.

Sigma Sigma Phi, the UNECOM club responsible for organizing the event, spent several months acquiring permits, advertising the race, and planning race particulars. Since the race route meandered through active streets and thoroughfares, student organizers had to work closely with the Biddeford Police and Public Works departments to ensure the safety of all participants.

Race director Suzie McGrorty, a second-year student from Twenty-Nine Palms, California, was thrilled with the large turnout and smooth execution of the race. “I couldn’t believe that we had so many people from the community register for the race,” McGrorty said, “we had no idea that we would be able to raise so much money for the Clinic.”    

Free Clinic Volunteers
The Turkey Trot is not the first time medical students have offered their time and talents to the Clinic. Dozens of students have volunteered several evenings a month to help conduct patient histories and check vital signs under the watchful eyes of physician volunteers.

Other students volunteer in the Clinic’s pharmacy, gaining a practical knowledge of pharmaceuticals as they help to fill prescriptions. Still other students started a SugarBusters program to help diabetic patients manage their illness, and several more students designed a Smoking Cessation Program to assist addicted smokers.

Still, the Turkey Trot was a highlight in the long-standing relationship between the BFC and UNECOM, and it helped pour a bit of gravy on an already good cause. Students would like to see the race become an annual event, though planning for it gobbles away at club finances and time otherwise spent in study. The sacrifice is worth it, say students, as helping others less fortunate is why many chose to become physicians in the first place.

It is a sacrifice worth remembering. 

(Press release issued Nov. 22, 2006)