As in past years, GPS students dressed up as Native Americans, pilgrims, turkeys, cans of green beans, and as the Whoville characters from the holiday classic The Grinch for Turkey Train day on Friday. One advisory group held aloft a turkey balloon and called themselves the Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon holders. Another went as Black Friday, with each girl holding a distinctive shopping bag from a retail store. Each girl and the advisor of one group dressed as individual items in a Thanksgiving Day place setting: folk, spoon, napkin, plate, butter knife, etc. There were scarecrows from cornfields, Charlie Brown and his crew, and a few tacky and not-so-tacky Christmas sweaters. Click here to see more photos of the costumed students.
In mid-morning, the advisories lined up from youngest to oldest, and with gloves to ward off frozen fingers from the 200 frozen turkeys, the girls started the train. Lines of students and teachers began in the Middle School, moved through the library, down Upper School hallways, through the Rotunda, down more halls, through the Student Center, and outside on the patio until the turkeys were loaded into the Chattanooga Area Food Bank truck.
After the last turkey was delivered to the truck, the student body gathered on the steps and were led in the Alma Mater by Mackenzie Hobbs, president of Partnership in Community, the GPS organization that coordinated the annual event. One advisory collected $100 with which they bought 11 turkeys. Over $200 and boxes of canned goods were also contributed to the Food Bank, all in the spirit of competition as blue, black, or white teams vied to win points for an end-of-year trophy.