TULSA, Okla. — One of Tulsa's largest Thanksgiving traditions just returned. This year marks 25 years of BMX Grand Nationals, an event that draws hundreds of thousands of people every year.
This year, 200 BMX fans enjoyed a thanksgiving meal at The BMX Hall of Fame and also see for the first time the brand-new USA BMX Headquarters.
“We’re from New Zealand," Hazel Gardner said.
From every corner of the world, the USA BMX Grand Nationals draw in thousands of people like Gardner, who traveled almost 20 hours with her family and friends to compete here in Tulsa.
“Watching the Grands and competing for me…that will be really cool," Gardner said.
I found Memphis McLeod who was visiting from Australia and has been riding for about five and a half years. He said he enjoys the adrenaline on the racetrack and will be joining over 3,000 riders on the track.
“The tracks are a lot harder than in Australia and so a lot more difficult," McLeod said.
The five-day event is a culmination of a 30-day series that goes across the country, but new this year, the USA BMX foundation hosted a thanksgiving dinner at the BMX Hall of Fame.
“Everybody that’s dining here today, a portion of the cost goes to the foundation to use for funding our education programs. Programs like RISE, which stands for resilience, inclusion, social awareness and education for underserved and at-risk kids for North Tulsa kids," Hoyt said.
This is an experience Hazel and Memphis found fascinating since thanksgiving is an American tradition.
“It’s amazing, I only learned what Thanksgiving was a couple of months ago…so it’s really quite cool," Gardner said.
“The turkey tastes a lot like Chicken," McLeod said. "Happy Thanksgiving!"
Hoyt said the annual event is expected to bring in more than $15 million in economic impact to the City of Tulsa.
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