SUNDERLAND — Get your sneakers out for Sunday, May 1, as the South County Senior Center kicks off the Walk Massachusetts Challenge at Sunderland’s Riverside Park.
From 2 to 4 p.m., people can visit the park to experience a special event of walking and other activities. Refreshments will be available, and several vendors and regional organizations like Franklin County’s YMCA and the Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority will be on hand. State Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, and state Rep. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, will also attend.
South County Senior Center Director Jennifer Remillard said Sunderland was the only town in western Massachusetts to be picked as a kickoff location for the Walk Massachusetts Challenge and that it is a great opportunity for people to come together and get active.
“The Walk Mass. Challenge is to build community. We’re trying to partner with our younger community members to sponsor someone — by walking, not by financial donation,” Remillard said. “By doing so, we’re hoping that we build relationships and rapport between all the age groups in our community.”
The Walk Massachusetts Challenge is a community-wide walking challenge that runs from May 1 to Oct. 31. People can choose one of four different challenges — 88 days of walking, 126.6 miles, 192 miles or 351 miles — and they will be entered into gift card drawings for making progress. As individuals walk, their local Council on Aging/Senior Center will also be entered into raffles to earn up to $1,000 in programming money. People over 60 are encouraged to register themselves for the challenge and anyone under 60 is able to sponsor a senior in their community.
The challenge was designed to encourage seniors to participate in physical activity to promote healthy living. Now, the event is open to anyone 5 to 59 years old as sponsoring seniors can help build community while still encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
“Having a classroom of fifth grade children sponsoring older adults strengthens ties within the community, improves one’s health and may be a catalyst for additional intergenerational learning,” Massachusetts Council on Aging Communications Manager Lynn Wolf said in a statement.
People can sign up for the Walk Massachusetts Challenge by visiting walkmachallenge.com and creating an account. Registrations are available at any time during the challenge, so even those who miss the May 1 start date can still register after that.
Walking, Remillard said, is “one of the best forms of exercise” as it can be done at one’s own pace and can be done just about anywhere.
“We’re hoping (the event) will build excitement and interest in walking,” she said. “There’s a lot of stress in everybody’s lives and walking is a great way to reduce stress, strengthen cardiovascular health and connect with nature.”