Residents of Glasgow, Scotland will join together for the city’s first Great Scottish Walk event on Sunday, May 25. There will be three routes: three, six and twelve miles. Edinburgh also hosts a similar event which will be on June 22nd. The events will benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland.

Find out more at: GreatScottishWalk.com

Last Saturday, January 19th, concerned citizens hit the streets of Athens, Ohio in the Good Works Sixth Annual Walk for the Homeless.  The event raised $32,000 for Timothy House, a homeless shelter in the area.

There were three different routes to choose from, one for children and two for adults.  Rather than just walking a route, participants were challenged to think about the plight of homeless.  Signs, videos and interactive activities were available.  The Athens Messenger reported:

The Kids Walk featured a homeless camp made up of former residents of the Timothy House who were there to tell their stories as kids asked questions. “Children are the next generation of decision-makers on issues that matter to the poor,” Wasserman said. “Children have a pure motivation that’s not encumbered by politics.”

“It was amazing how the people were so articulate, kind and willing to share their stories,” said Jamie Linscott, an adult volunteer who went on the Kids Walk. “They didn’t fit any stereotypes of homelessness and poverty. It made it real, but not scary for the kids.”

The Everyday Giving blog has a great story on an event called Walkathon for Hope. This one event will make a huge difference in the lives of people living in Honduras:

The Walkathon for Hope was made possible by the nonprofit organization Students Helping Honduras. The event had 2,000 participants and raised its goal of $200,000 to build 72 houses in the village of Siete de Abril in Honduras. We walked ten miles on the day of the event. I am proud to have been a part of it.

Find out more about Walkathon for Hope

Arms of Love Pregnancy Resource Center is gearing up for its 10th annual Fun Walk. This year they are also adding a 5K race. Arms of Love is a 501c3, not for profit located in Godfrey Illinois that specializes in helping women in crisis pregnancy situations.

The event will take place Sunday, Oct. 21 @ 2:00 pm at Haskell Park on Henry Street in Alton, IL. The cost is $15 to Walk and $25 for 5K Run and pledge fundraising is encouraged. Entertainment will include the NTF Xtreme Band, Balloons, Face Painting and Food. A free T-shirt will be given to all who enter and complete the Walk.

For more information contact Angela Valdes, Director of Development, Arms of Love PRC at 618-466-1690.

Maren Coffman is participating in the 39-mile, two-day Avon Walk held on Charlotte, NC on October 20th - 21st. The Fort Hill, SC resident must raise a minimum of $1,800 to be a walker in the event. Like many fundraisers for walk-a-thons or other events, Coffman is putting her own special personal touch on her fundraising. She has created several creative fundraising strategies to support her efforts. Her fundraising is also helping to raise more awarness for breast cancer.

Coffman has created a mini-walk to benefit the Avon Foundation on Saturday, October 6th. The walk is 4 miles and begins at the Baxter Village Starbucks. The registration fee of $20 will benefit the Avon Foundation. By holding a walk, she is helping to raise more awareness for breast cancer, especially for walkers who might not be able to complete the 39-mile walk held by Avon in late October.

She is also selling raffle tickets for prizes that will be given right after the mini-walk on October 6th. Raffle tickets are being sold for $5 each. Local businesses have donated a number of prizes which include four cakes donated by The Perfect Pastry, handmade chocolates from Epiphany Chocolatiers, a $150 gift certificate from P.Elite Catering and a two-night stay at Holiday Inn Charlotte City Center.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Many women are wearing pink ribbons in support of this very important month.

Source:  Charlotte.com

Get Ready, Get Set, Get Fit 5K Run/1K Walk was held on Sunday, September 16th at Towson University in Towson, Maryland . The race was also sponsored by the Baltimore County Department of Aging and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield.

“The run is a part of a collaboration with Baltimore County Department of Aging to promote fitness among older people,” Charlotte Exner, dean of the college of health professions, said.

Source: The Towerlight  

Towson University students studying at the College of Health Professions have been involved in the event, working with senior fitness centers in the area. Approximately 400 to 500 people were expected to participate in the event.

Students and individuals over 60 paid a participation fee of $10 for the event. Everyone else paid $15. The event was also supported by sponsorship, and they had raised more than $25,000 through corporate sponsorship.

Funds raised from the event will help benefit six senior centers in the Baltimore County. There is going to be a seventh center by the end of the month, and an eighth by the end of the year.

Source: The Towerlight

The safety awareness group for teen drivers It Won’t Happen To Me is holding a fundraising walk, In Memory Of Walk-a-thon on Saturday, October 27th. This walk remembers teens who lost their lives in driving accidents. Approximately 500 to 1,000 people are expected to participate in the event. The walk will be held at Tribble Mill Park in Lawrenceville, GA.

It Won’t Happen To Me educates teens and their parents about unsafe driving habits of teenagers. The organization gives presentations at schools, churches, civic organizations and court systems.

According to the It Won’t Happen To Me website, Motor vehicle accidents are the #1 killer of teens across the U.S.A.. The purpose of the walk is to both raise funds to support the organization, but to also “keep alive the memory of these teens that have died. Not to memorialize them but to keep their memory alive and what happened to them as a constant reminder that what happened to them could happen to any of us.”

Sources: It Won’t Happen To Me.org, ajc.com