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By Josh Robinson, Palestra contributing writer
This Saturday, November 28, at 1PM is the 8th edition of the Turkey Bowl, the annual post-Thanksgiving Ultimate Frisbee tournament held in Canton, Ohio.
I can’t believe how far this event has come since its humble beginnings the Friday after Thanksgiving in 2002, when a group of about 20 close friends from GlenOak High School got together to celebrate Thanksgiving and our breaks from college together over the game of Ultimate Frisbee. This year, we could see as many as 60 people come and try to stake their claim of the championship, which is accompanied by colorful medals and a flashy MVP trophy.
Seeing how far the event has come has made me reflect on where I have been and where I am going. I say that because I find comfort in knowing that the Turkey Bowl will always be here, because there is no place like home for the holidays, and because lasting friendships make life worth living.
Back in 2002, people at University would often ask me why I was so close to my friends from Canton. Well, why shouldn’t I have been? We had formed a close bond over coffee shops, sporting activities, common interests, and dreams of a big future. It only seemed natural for us to want to share our sense of community through an event like Turkey Bowl, so we did and have been ever since then.
Each of us have taken divergent paths since the origination of Turkey Bowl; some of us continue our education, others have taken up long term residence back in our hometown, and myself, I have been all over the place, but find myself back in Canton full-time after an 8 year hiatus, interrupted by college and a career overseas. No matter what, all of us come back to Turkey Bowl to give thanks for our friendships, what life has offered us, and to share in what lies ahead. This is the lasting impact of this event in my mind, and I hope to continue to share that with younger generations here in Canton.
I haven’t been able to play in the Turkey Bowl since 2005 and I welcome my chance to grace the field once again. The death of a family member and time living over 9,000 miles away has led me to be away from the event for what seems like an eternity, even when deep down I didn’t want to be. However, I am fortunate enough to feel like I haven’t missed a thing thanks to the deep bonds Turkey Bowl has helped me to form with my friends. So, I’ll say thanks to them for allowing me to be a part of Turkey Bowl while not physically present, and even being so considerate to recognize that I care about and wanted to take part in the event even when I couldn’t.
What lies ahead? Well, it’s hard to say. Each of us will continue to grow, learn more, and likely move on to bigger and better things. Even with all that uncertainty, I know that the Turkey Bowl will be here for us to celebrate all we have and all that life will bring us. And in the future, when turkey bowl is just a simple part of Canton lore, I will still be able to look back, think of the good times and memories I had with my friends and be thankful.
See you on the pitch!
Cheers, josh
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More Turkey Bowl goodness to come...
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