DAMARISCOTTA — The 6th annual Foodbank Farm 5k trail run and 1 mile walk/fun run will be held Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, at 9 a.m., at Coastal Rivers Salt Bay Farm, on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta. This informal, volunteer-organized event is a benefit for Twin Villages Foodbank Farm (TVFF). 

“This event is a fun way for people to come together for a good cause,” said Farm Director Sara Cawthon, in a news release. “It’s so uplifting to see people from the community connecting for a run, a walk, or just to cheer on their friends at this beautiful preserve before heading off for a holiday meal.”

The 5K trail run and 1-mile walk/fun run are open to runners and walkers of all ages. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Apple cider and donuts will be available for participants and spectators.

The 5K course is on broad mown trails with gentle hills, making two loops around the fields at Coastal Rivers’ scenic Salt Bay Farm on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta. The race will not be officially timed, but there will be someone at the finish line to let participants know their finish time. Prizes will be awarded to the top male and female finishers. 

There is no fee to participate, but monetary donations of any amount to the Foodbank Farm are welcome. Registration is required online at www.twinvillagesfarm.org/foodbank-farm-5k/. 

For more information, email Sara at scawthon@twinvillagesfarm.org.

TVFF’s mission is to grow and distribute healthy food for those who need it most in Lincoln County. Growing 45,000 pounds of food each season on 3 acres since 2015, the Foodbank Farm provides fresh food for free, thanks to community support. The Foodbank Farm also runs a shared Community Food Hub, where 50,000 pounds of food is collected each year from many sources like grocery stores and farmers and donated to dozens of community partners. TVFF serves pantries in Newcastle, Jefferson, Boothbay, Wiscasset, Waldoboro, Whitefield, and share tables and youth food programs like FARMS at the YMCA. To learn more about the farm or to make a secure online donation, visit twinvillagesfarm.org.

TVFF operates in close partnership with Coastal Rivers. Coastal Rivers donates use of its prime farmland at Salt Bay Farm and provides administrative, fundraising and communications support. 

Coastal Rivers is a non-profit, member-supported, nationally accredited land trust caring for the lands and waters of the Damariscotta-Pemaquid Region by conserving special places, protecting water quality, creating trails and public access, and deepening connections to nature through education programs. For more information, email info@coastalrivers.org or visit coastalrivers.org.