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Thayer team members donating turkeys to the community of Highland Falls for Thanksgiving on November 20th

From left as they made the donation: Thayer Leadership's Program Manager Marissa Rucinski, Client Relations Coordinator Gabrielle O’Donnell, Program Manager Hannah Pitt, Marketing Manager Elizabeth Maers, Marketing Coordinator Jake Monaco, Client Relations Support Manager Ali Cameron, Accounts Receivable Manager Satie Ragunath, Carla Burns, Products Specialist Kate Gerathy, Program Manager Katie Scott. 

You’ve seen the groups of runners and walkers moving around Highland Falls appearing to be on some sort of scavenger hunt. In actuality, they’re taking part in a Thayer Leadership program called ‘Urban Orienteering’, a way for participants in Thayer’s training to test out tools they learn in the classroom.

Thayer Leadership is a globally-recognized leadership development company based at West Point’s Thayer Hotel, with offices on the north end of Main St.  Their team of retired military officers train corporate executives using the same time-honored leadership principles taught to cadets at West Point. Every year, Marketing Manager Elizabeth Maers said, thousands of participants come through Thayer’s training and develop an appreciation for the military and Highland Falls.

What Highland Falls residents may not see is that during most every program since the July 9, 2023 floods hit this area, those groups of runners and walkers drop off non-perishable food items in a bin at Holy Innocents Church to benefit the local food pantries. In 2024 Thayer Leadership has donated about 1900 cans, almost double from this time in 2023.

Last week, employees of the organization took that community outreach a bit further, dropping off 10 turkeys and six hams to the food pantry’s Carla Burns, as they’ve done for the last several years. Those donations were handed off to community residents who are registered with the pantry later that afternoon. Burns told the Thayer employees how much she appreciated the donation, especially with Thanksgiving just a week away.

“The donation is part of Thayer Leadership’s ongoing philanthropic commitment to support local families, and hopefully make the Thanksgiving season a little more joyful,” Maers added.

Urban Orienteering participants donating canned goods to the Highland Falls food bank

Originally published by Mary Jane Pitt at The News of The Highlands on November 27, 2024