What started as a one-time, one-hundred-year milk-making celebration, the T.G. Lee 5k Milk Run has become an annual event for the local Orlando community.
Having studied business at Rollins College for three years and later agriculture at the University of Florida, Thomas Gilbert’s dairy story began in 1925. At the ripe age of 31, after surviving World War I and becoming a veteran, Gilbert was gifted Hopper, the cow that started it all. Along with Hopper, Gilbert was gifted twenty acres of land by his father, along with a bank note that allowed him to purchase one more cow. Although small, Gilbert used what he had and began developing his dairy business, T.G. Lee, into the company we know and love today.
At the time, Gilbert managed his business alongside his wife and newborn baby. The two endured many sleepless nights, but still achieved success. Orlando Sentinel states, “Late to bed and early to rise became the order of the day,” and it was often accompanied by a copious amount of alarms, allotting themselves only three hours of sleep on most nights.
In the beginning, everything was done by hand, from the delivery to the labeling; it became a door-to-door business model for dairy. However, after pursuing this model for what seemed like a few years, Gilbert began to expand into a fledgling company. By the 30s, Gilbert decided that his company needed its first high-tech milking parlor, which ultimately became T.G. Lee. Although it allowed for efficiency for his company, he’d also use this opportunity to attract tourists and individuals who sought to watch cows being milked by a machine. Using this tactic, his notoriety increased, bringing more fame to his name.
Gaining respect from the local Orlando Community, Gilbert would one day purchase over 70 dairy businesses and a new processing plant by the 1950s, allowing his once small business to expand in 30 years. By T.G. Lee’s 50th anniversary, the Orlando area came together in support of Gilbert’s story, with more than 1,000 individuals attending.
With that said, the community remains strong in its commitment to T.G. Lee’s mission, as events continue to foster community involvement. Starting in 2025, T.G. Lee celebrated their 100th anniversary with a 5k Milk Run, a festival, an invitation to Mayor Dyer, and a hefty donation to a food bank in the Orlando area. It has decided to continue its tradition and make each year a new celebration.
On May 2, another 5k Milk Run festival will be held in downtown Orlando’s historic district. To create an environment for everyone, they have included a “Fun Run” for the little ones, along with “crowd pleasers” like a “Cow Costume Division”. In addition, T.G. Lee will donate all proceeds to The Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida, which has partnered for this year’s festivities.
So grab your shorts, tank, and shorts, and start moooving to this year’s 5k milk run, for it seems to be one filled with ice cream, milk, and well, dairy!