Chamber to Honor Lynch with Turkey Trot

The Douglaston Village Chamber of Commerce will host a 5K walk on Thanksgiving in honor of the late Dick Lynch, a defensive back for the New York Giants and Douglaston resident.

Dorothy Matinale, executive director of the chamber, said she intends for the Dick Lynch Turkey Trot to become an annual event.

"The turkey trot has been a long time wish of the Lynch family," she said. "Dick used to run through the Manor and he was very involved in the community. We'd thought of this idea years ago, but it never came to fruition."

All funds raised during the event will go to the chamber of commerce.

Registration for the walk begins at 7:30 a.m. at Memorial Field, located at Douglas Road and Knollwood Avenue. The race will begin at 9 a.m.

Adults will pay $20 to take part in the walk, but there will be no fees for children. The race course will begin at Memorial Field,and conclude at the Manor Market near the Douglaston Long Island Rail Road station.

Breakfast will be served at the Manor Market. Snapple will donate drinks for the event, while T-shirts with a Turkey Trot logo and Lynch's Giants number printed on the back will be sold.

Lynch's family has donated tickets to a Dec. 5 Giants vs. Redskins game that will be raffled off at the walk. Seats are at the 15-yard line.

Those interested in attending can sign up on the chamber's website or find the group on Facebook.

"It's our first fledgling year, so we want people to come and have fun," Matinale said. "People can dress up in costumes. We'll have music at the 20-yard line. We want everyone to come out."

A complete map of the race can be found at the chamber's website.

"It will most likely be local people this years" Matinale said of the walk. "But we hope over time that it grows into a wonderful thing for people to do on Thanksgiving before sitting down at the dining room table later that afternoon."

Lynch played as a defensive back for the Giants and the Washington Redskins. He led the National Football League for interceptions in 1961 and 1963.