Joining the Walk for Hunger 2011, Boston, MA

Have you considered joining the Walk for Hunger 2011, Boston, MA? If you have never participated in this annual, springtime event in Boston you are missing a wonderful opportunity to help others put healthy food on the table each and every day and to get a little more physically fit yourself You don't have to be a marathoner or a health fanatic. All you really need to do is be someone who sees the struggle against hunger being waged by neighbors across the state and region and be willing to try to do something about it.

In 2010 according to Project Bread the Walk for Hunger's website, more than 42,000 people turned out at Boston Common to walk and simultaneously raise money to be distributed to meet the needs of individuals, soup kitchens and shelters across the state. Another 2,000 people set the same day aside to give their time as volunteers to assist with registration and servicing the needs of the many walkers.

At the end of the day, donations garnered by walkers through pledges for miles walked coupled with contributions from donors, corporate sponsors and media outlets allowed Project Bread the Walk for Hunger to announce that it had raised a whopping $3.8 million. A single day of shared walking really can make a big difference in peoples lives.

Still, the numbers of hungry to be helped remains large . In Massachusetts alone, again according to the Project Bread the Walk for Hunger, each day finds some 660,000 people confronting the problem of chronic hunger and needing assistance.

Perhaps this is your year to step up, if you have not already done so. In 2011, the Walk for Hunger, Boston, MA will be held on Sunday, May 1. Proceeds from this year's walk will be divided among some 400 feeding agencies that fan out across the state and directly serve those in need in 130 towns.

If you think you would like to try the 20 mile walk, some gentle advice from someone who has walked the walk is to prepare in advance. I have walked with groups of young people who thought nothing of signing up to walk the 20 mile hike and found themselves either out of energy after about 5 miles or totally done in at the end. I have also known folks in their 50's and 60's who are able to complete the distance without long term damage. Twenty miles is a long distance for those who try it without any prior preparation and manageable for those who work their way up to it.

Getting into shape means starting by small walks and gradually building up endurance according to your age, health and overall physical fitness. I was told that if I could walk 5 miles in relative comfort that I would manage the longer distance. That seemed to work for me.

The good news of course is that even if you can't walk the full twenty miles, those who are pledging money for your efforts will reward how ever many miles you complete. You will also find that there is transportation back to the starting/finishing area for those who find that their ambition is greater than their walking capacity.

If you want to help but don't want to walk of course consider working as a volunteer, sponsor a walker or simply send along a donation.

It's never too early to prepare for the Walk for Hunger 2011, Boston, MA and registration begins on line in February.

Sources;
http://www.projectbread.org/site/PageServer?pagename=walk_whowehelp