How the 2026 Branson Turkey Trot is helping local children through Gift of Hope’s Backpack Club.
Thanksgiving morning in Branson is about to get a little more meaningful.
The 15th Annual Branson Turkey Trot is returning to Branson Landing on Thursday, November 26, 2026, and this year, every step will help support local children through Gift of Hope’s Backpack Club.
The Turkey Trot has become a Thanksgiving tradition for families, friends and runners from throughout the Ozarks. It’s a chance to get outside, have some fun, work off a little of that Thanksgiving dinner before it even hits the table—and start the holiday surrounded by the people you love.
But this year, there’s another reason to lace up your shoes.
Gift of Hope is the 2026 benefactor of the Branson Turkey Trot, with proceeds from the event supporting the organization’s Backpack Club.
Helping Local Kids, One Backpack at a Time
Gift of Hope has been helping families in Taney County for more than 35 years.
The organization got its start in 1989 when employees and owners of National Enzyme Company in Forsyth decided to skip their traditional Christmas gift exchange and use the money to help a local family instead. They raised $700 and adopted their first family.
That small act of kindness eventually grew into Gift of Hope, an organization dedicated to helping local families with essential needs.
One of its longest-running programs is the Backpack Club, which began in 2007.
The idea is simple: Some children don’t have enough food at home to get through the weekend after leaving school on Friday.
Gift of Hope works with local schools, teachers, counselors and staff to identify children who may be experiencing food insecurity. Each week during the school year, those children receive a backpack filled with nutritious food to take home for the weekend.
And these aren’t just random items thrown into a bag.
The food is selected with kids in mind. It can be eaten hot or cold, and the items are packaged so children can easily access them.
For some kids, that backpack provides a little extra food for the weekend. For others, it can make a much bigger difference.
Today, Gift of Hope’s Backpack Club provides food for more than 1,200 children every week during the school year.
That’s more than 1,200 local kids who can head home for the weekend knowing they’ll have something to eat.
Right Here in Our Community
The Backpack Club serves children in schools throughout the Taney County area, including Branson, Hollister, Forsyth, Kirbyville, Taneyville, Bradleyville, Mark Twain, Riverview Baptist Christian School and Trinity Christian Academy.
These are local kids.
They’re our neighbors, our students and part of the communities where we live, work and raise our families.
That’s what makes this year’s Turkey Trot partnership so special.
When you sign up for the Branson Turkey Trot, you’re not just registering for a race. You’re helping support a program that directly benefits children in the communities around us.
A Thanksgiving Tradition With a Purpose
There’s something pretty fitting about supporting the Backpack Club on Thanksgiving morning.
Thanksgiving is a time when families gather around the table, share a meal and count their blessings.
The Turkey Trot gives our community a chance to start that day together—and to help make sure local children have food on their tables, too.
Whether you’re a serious runner chasing a fast 5K, someone looking for a fun way to start Thanksgiving morning, or a family wanting to make a new holiday tradition, there’s a place for you at the Turkey Trot.
Grab your family.
Grab your friends.
Put on your running shoes.
And come spend Thanksgiving morning at Branson Landing.
Because this year, every step helps fill a backpack.
15th Annual Branson Turkey Trot
Thursday, November 26, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. at Branson Landing — 5K Walk/Run
The Branson Turkey Trot is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Taney and Stone Counties.
And this Thanksgiving, the finish line is only part of the story.
Run for the fun. Run with your family. Run for your community. And run to help local kids start their weekends with a little more.
Learn more about Gift of Hope at Gift of Hope’s Backpack Club .