Turkey Trot to Benefit Chronic Disease Management

Racers have another reason to feel good about running in this year’s Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot.  For its ten year anniversary, the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot has added The Health Trust as a beneficiary.  The donation will go toward The Health Trust’s Better Choices Better Health program, which teaches people living with chronic conditions to live healthier, more independent lives.

“Thanks to the Turkey Trot, our work will go much further,” says Paul Hepfer, Vice President of Programs at The Health Trust. “This partnership will allow us to expand the reach of our classes and help more residents who face a daily challenge of living with chronic disease.”

Better Choices Better Health is a six-session, peer-taught health education workshop that helps individuals take day-to-day responsibility for their care and to increase their skills needed to manage their disease and work effectively with their health care professionals.  The model, used around the world, was developed by Stanford University’s Kate Lorig, who was heartened to hear the news of The Turkey Trot partnership. “I believe that this is the first local event of this magnitude to fund Better Choices Better Health.  Again, San Jose is a national model and leader,” says Lorig.

The Health Trust is the fifth beneficiary of the Turkey Trot.  It joins Healthier Kids Foundation Santa Clara County, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Cruz County.  These charities provide families with their most basic needs for “health, hope, and a home.”

About The Health Trust
The Health Trust is a nonprofit foundation that provides grants, services and advocacy to support its vision of Silicon Valley as the healthiest region in America through its three initiatives – Healthy Living, Healthy Eating, and Healthy Aging.  It provides a variety of direct services aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of vulnerable populations in Santa Clara and northern San Benito counties.  For more information, visit www.healthtrust.org.

About Better Choices, Better Health
The BCBH model, developed by Stanford University through 20 years of federally funded research, contains a series of classes designed to teach the patient how to best manage his or her chronic disease(s).  Classes cover topics such as diet and exercise, developing action plans, relaxation, pain management, problem solving, positive thinking and working with the health care system to achieve optimal results. For more information on The Health Trust’s BCBH program, visit https://healthtrust.org/services/better-choices-better-health

About the Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot
The Silicon Valley Turkey Trot” founded and produced by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation, is now in its 10th year and the total amount given to charity has exceeded $4 million.  There are several events on Thanksgiving Day to choose from within the 5K and 10K runs and walks, along with a kid’s fun run.