Charity Walks Blog

Blue skies greeted walkers as they parked their cars and exited the subway station onto the National Mall in Washington, DC. Finding the walk location was easy. Head to the tallest structure in the District of Columbia, the Washington Monument. It was the morning of May 15, 2010. The day of the 2010 DC Arthritis Walk.

The charity walk started at the National Sylvan Theater, right next to the Washington Monument. I can’t imagine a better setting for charity walks.

My son and I arrived while volunteers were in the middle of setting up for the event. There were multiple tents set up for volunteers, registration and refreshments. There were fun activities including a basketball game and pitching game. Face painting was also a hit. The location was spacious enough that some even played catch with a frisbee.

The stage at the National Sylvan Theater allowed everyone in attendance to see and hear the opening ceremonies. Two MCs kept the opening portion running smoothly. Of special interest was a proclamation from the Mayor of Washington, DC in support of the event that was read to the participants and the attendance of both the reining Mrs. Virginia and Mrs. Maryland (they helped lead exercises before the walk).

The charity walk route took walkers around the Washington Monument and past the National World War II Memorial and Lincoln Memorial. People travel from all over the world to visit these sites!

The DC Arthritis Walk raises money and awareness to support the Arthritis Foundation in the fight against arthritis. A disease that affects 46 million people and 300,000 children in the U.S. This year, the DC Arthritis Walk has already raised more than $105,000 for this important purpose.

To learn more about how you can get involved in an Arthritis Walk in your area, go to http://www.LetsMoveTogether.org.

Thanks,

Technorati Tags: arthritis foundation, arthritis walk, charity walk, charity walks, District Of Columbia, Lincoln Memorial, Mayor Of Washington Dc, National Mall, National World War Ii Memorial, Sylvan Theater, walk events, Washington Monument

It rained on the morning of the Richmond Arthritis Walk, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the many who turned out to support the fight against arthritis.

The charity walk event was held on April 24, 2010 at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Medical Center at Stony Point in Richmond, Virginia. The Arthritis Walk is the signature fundraising event for the Arthritis Foundation.

The area was filled with music, food and fun. Just seeing the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile put a smile on my face as I arrived at the charity event. The participants were led in a Tai Chi warm up exercise routine just before walking the three-mile or optional one-mile course.

One thing I found very interesting and exciting is that the Arthritis Foundation is now accepting donations via text messaging. This event was the first one to offer the service to participants. I wrote about the importance of this donation technology a couple of years ago at http://www.everydaygivingblog.com/2008/05/mobile-giving.html.

I enjoyed being a part of the Richmond Arthritis Walk. If you were not able to be there, watch the slide show below to view some of the pictures I captured at the event. Consider getting involved in an Arthritis Walk near you.

The Arthritis Foundation is addressing the needs of some 46 million Americans living with arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability. To learn more about how to get involved in an Arthritis Walk in your area, go to http://LetsMoveTogether.org.

Thanks,

Technorati Tags: Arthritis, arthritis foundation, arthritis walk, Charity Event, charity walks, Fundraising Event, Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, Richmond, Richmond Virginia, Stony Point, Tai Chi, Text Messaging, Virginia Commonwealth University

The charity walk was scheduled to  start in about an hour and a half.  I was in my car and about five minutes away from the event. That’s when it hit my windshield…RAIN!

I was attending the Richmond Arthritis Walk in Richmond, Virginia.  It was my first time participating in this event so I didn’t know what to expect.  I did know the event was taking place rain or shine.

When I arrived, I was directed to park my car on the second level of the parking deck. The staff and volunteers were already moving tables out of the rain to the first level of the parking deck. That was the location most of the morning activities took place.

I was surprised by how many people arrived with their raincoats and umbrellas to take part in the charity walk.  The rainy weather wasn’t going to stop them from supporting a cause that was important to them. Fortunately, most of the rain subsided during the walk portion of the event. But on that morning, the participants were already prepared to walk in the rain.

We can’t control the weather.  The Richmond Arthritis Walk could have been a disaster because of the rain.  Instead, it was a tremendous success despite the bad weather. The success didn’t happen by accident. Here are some tips that should be considered for all charity walks, because this could happen at any outdoor event:

• Decide very early in the planning process whether you are going to hold the charity walk event “rain or shine” or have an alternate date scheduled in case of bad weather.
• Communicate your intentions to all participants so they are not wondering on the day of the event whether or not to attend.
• If you decide to hold your event if it rains, make sure the needed details are covered in all of your planning and preparation right up to the date of the charity walk.
• Maintain safety as a #1 priority throughout the event.

None of us want bad weather on the day of our charity walks.  However, when it does happen you’ll be glad that you prepared for it ahead of time.

Thanks,

p.s. You can view some of the photos I took at the Richmond Arthritis Walk at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogercarr/sets/72157623803852501/.

Photo credit: John Evans

Technorati Tags: Arthritis, arthritis walk, Bad Weather, Charity Event, charity walk, charity walks, Rain Or Shine, Rainy Weather, Richmond, Richmond Virginia, Umbrellas, virginia, Volunteers