A group of seniors at Horseshoe Pond Place will be using their feet for the benefit of some wheels May 18 when they participate in the March For Meals Walkathon, a fundraising walk for the Meals on Wheels program.
In other news, the previous sentence established a new world record for combined uses of the words “wheels” and “meals.”
Polly Fife, director of senior services at the Horseshoe Pond Place Senior Resource Center, has built a dedicated team of 20 people – including community members and Horseshoe Pond residents – many of whom will be walking in the event. Others will be manning water stations along the course.
“For the people participating in the march, it’s an opportunity for them to say thank you on behalf of someone who has received Meals on Wheels. It’s an opportunity to get out on a beautiful day and walk with a friend,” Fife said. “We have several residents here who walk on a regular basis, and I think there are probably a handful of residents who are physically fit and able who want to come out and say, ‘Hey, I can do this because I am healthy and I am able and strong and independent. Even though I’m older, I can still give back to my community.’ ”
It will be the fourth year a team has been formed at Horseshoe Pond. There are four walks taking place throughout the state on May 18, with the others in Manchester, North Haverhill and Ossipee.
Concord walkers – as many as 200 are expected to participate – will gather at 1 Delta Drive, with warm-ups beginning at 10 a.m. Walkers can choose one of two routes, and the walk is expected to finish by noon. Fife’s team will feature about 10 residents of Horseshoe Pond Place, some of whom will walk and others of whom will volunteer along the course. Of the walkers from the center, Fife said some are in their late 80s.
Participation has been strong at Horseshoe Pond, and this year’s team is made up primarily of people who weren’t involved last year, Fife said. She is also happy to see people who aren’t able to walk in the event get involved anyway.
“Additional people that aren’t able to walk the course, for them to be able to volunteer to man the water station or something like that, it gives them great pride to be able to play a part in the whole awareness of Meals on Wheels.”
Which, as much as anything, is the point of the entire day.
“The goal of the walk is as much raising awareness for Meals on Wheels as it is a fundraiser,” Fife said. “It’s interesting that almost everybody knows somebody who at some point in their life received Meals on Wheels. When you do an awareness event like this, it’s really pulling the community together and recognizing a program that so many people benefit from.”
