Palo Alto High School students can enjoy a Thanksgiving feast with their peers during lunch Friday, Nov. 18, on the quad for the annual Turkey Trot celebration. 

Students should bring $5 or $2 with three canned or nonperishable food donations for the feast, according to Parent Teacher Student Association Turkey Day Lunch Coordinator Anne Stewart, 

The traditional Thanksgiving meal event, which first started at Paly in 2005, will include turkey, potatoes and pie.

Because of the extended lunch for the Turkey Trot, the week of Nov. 14 will follow a different bell schedule.

Monday will follow the B Day schedule with odd block periods; Tuesday will continue with a T Day schedule with even block periods and Tutorial. Wednesday and Thursday will follow the same schedule as usual, B and A respectively, and Friday will feature a special schedule with 45-minute classes and a 75-minute extended lunch.

Stewart emphasized the community feel of the Turkey Trot celebration with different parts of Paly taking part in the event: The Paly band will be playing during lunch while parents — along with Marchant’s Kitchen and Whole Foods — will be helping cook turkeys. She added that the faculty will prepare the set-up and parents will pick up the food. Student Activities Director Matt Hall and the Associated Student Body will also help advertise the event.

“The whole idea behind the turkey trot celebration is to bring the community together for a mini Thanksgiving at Paly,” Stewart said. “It is a holiday that everyone can celebrate. We have a great deal of help with this celebration.” 

Stewart added that the Turkey Trot will benefit the Ecumenical Hunger Program in East Palo Alto and the Opportunity Center. She suggested that students bring in “spices, chicken broth, stuffing mix, cranberry sauce and anything that will help make a Thanksgiving dinner special.”

Stewart expressed hopes that the event would be a success.

“We love the community effort that so many people put forth to make this event happen,” Stewart said. “We hope to have sunshine, enough food for all and be able to pass along goods to other families in need during the holidays.”