Red Cross stages 31st walkathon

By all possible indicators—the amount of money raised and the number of walkers it had—the 31st staging of the American Red Cross NMI Chapter Walkathon last Saturday at the 4-H Building in Susupe was an unqualified success.

“…Look at the crowd. It definitely exceeded our expectations,” said Red Cross executive director John Hirsch.

And it isn’t just based on the number of people who were at the event. “The other component of our event is the ability to raise money for the Red Cross humanitarian work,” Hirsch said.

This year’s walkathon has gotten a bit better. “Every year it seems to be getting a little bit better in terms of the various activities,” said ARC board director Bob Coldeen.

The exact number of registrants and walkers cannot be determined yet until later in the week but, according to Coldeen, this year’s walk was just as successful or even more successful than previous walkathons.

Overall chair Tayna Camacho agreed. “I would say that this is one of the best events yet.”

The walkathon raises funds for the American Red Cross so it could continue its humanitarian work and promote healthy living. The event included exhibits for health screenings such as blood pressure, eye screening, blood sugar levels, and flu vaccinations.

The newest addition were the bouncy houses, according to Camacho. “There are four different bounce houses, one in particular that is like an obstacle course. The kids are having a great time and parents are able to go to the exhibitors where the health screenings are.”

Camacho was thrilled that the walkathon had something for everyone. “It’s been a really great day for everyone,” she said.

Coldeen acknowledged the help of the community in making this event possible. “The community has been so great in terms of all the activities for health and fitness. It’s now bigger than just a walkathon, it’s more like a healthathon.”

The giveaways are also what differs this year’s walkathon from the pervious ones. “This year, registered walkers got a bucket and a Mickey plush toy, aside from the shirts,” said Camacho.

Camacho is also thankful to the volunteers. “We’re very fortunate that the people of the CNMI are very giving of their time. We have a really great pool of volunteers this year.”

A Marianas High School student, Stephanie Gruy, was glad that she joined this year’s walkathon. “The last time I joined was probably in 2012 and a lot has changed. This year’s event is grander than I remembered and I have no regrets that I decided to attend this year.”

The number of people who won free waterpark tickets has yet to be announced, as well as the people who won the iPad prize. The money raised has yet to be counted and will be announced this week.

The exact amount of registrants and school with the highest number of walkers will also be announced within this week, according to Hirsch.