Getting out for a little exercise can be a gratifying way to kick off the Thanksgiving holiday, especially when it benefits a good cause. The fifth annual Foodbank Farm 5K at Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust’s Salt Bay Farm in Damariscotta offers an opportunity to do that this Thanksgiving Day. Starting at 9 a.m. on Nov. 24, this is an informal, volunteer-organized event to benefit Twin Villages Foodbank Farm (TVFF).

The 5K trail run and 1-mile walk/fun run are open to runners and walkers of all ages. Well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome.

The 5K course is on broad mown trails with gentle hills, making two loops around the fields at Coastal Rivers’ scenic Salt Bay Farm on Belvedere Road in Damariscotta. The race will not be officially timed, but there will be someone at the finish line to let participants know their finish time. Prizes will be awarded to the top male and female finishers.

Registration is required and may be done online at coastalrivers.org/events or at twinvillagesfarm.org/foodbank-farm-5k. There is no fee to participate, though monetary donations to TVFF are encouraged and can be made online during registration.

TVFF’s mission is to grow and distribute healthy food for those who need it most in Lincoln County. TVFF serves pantries in Newcastle/Damariscotta, Jefferson, Boothbay, Wiscasset, Waldoboro, Whitefield, and New Harbor, as well as several local youth food programs.

TVFF operates in close partnership with Coastal Rivers. Coastal Rivers donates use of its prime farmland at Salt Bay Farm and provides administrative, fundraising and communications support.