From turkey trot to Petes-giving, local beaches celebrate yearly Thanksgiving traditions

JACKSONVILLE BEACHES, Fla. — From runners, to walkers, to turkeys and chuggers, the Beaches Town Center is the place to be on Thanksgiving Day.

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It kicked off with the annual Tony’s Turkey Trot, celebrating both survivors of traumatic brain injuries and honoring lost loved ones.

“Tony’s Turkey Trot means a lot to us,” said Jennifer Morrissey, the owner of beach restaurant Mustard & Onions. “We’ve made it a tradition with my family for Thanksgiving.”

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Once people finished up the race, they raced down to Pete’s, which is a nearly 40-year tradition and a staple in Neptune Beach.

Petes-giving has been a decades-long tradition. The annual party all started to give people who may not have anywhere to go a place to celebrate the holiday.

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“This is family and extended family,” said Marge Savage, a usual Petes-giving participant, “These are people we’ve known for 20 years.”

“It’s a great place to hide from your family,” said Damon Mitrakos, another yearly participant. “It’s a great place to hide and have a couple of drinks.”

Regardless of how you spend the holiday, Action News Jax hopes everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

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