Walking for others

Spring is a time when optimism reigns. The warm weather, the flowers popping up and the new opportunities for fun bring an excitement to people around the Valley.

Take a look at the bike trails and side streets around the Valley, and you'll find people getting out and exercising -- riding bikes, skateboarding, walking or jogging.

While there are plenty of opportunities to get out and have fun, some of them benefit local organizations. There are two things you can count on come springtime -- summer will be here eventually, and charity walks will pop up just as quickly as those blades of grass in the lawn.

There are a number of charity walks in Anchorage, and several more in the Valley. Most are in the spring, although one -- the Valley Walk for Alzheimers -- takes place in the fall. All are fun events, and that is why some attend them every year. But they are also important for community organizations, because they offer a fund-raising opportunity early in the spring.

Here is a wrap up of major charity walk events going on in the Valley, or those that benefit Valley charities:

2002 Mat-Su Walk

or Multiple Sclerosis

May 4

Entry forms are available at local businesses in Palmer and Wasilla, or you can register online through the National MS Society. To participate in the walk, people are encouraged to get donations, although there is no required amount. Prizes are awarded according to the amount of money raised.

Registration is set for 9 a.m. at Mat-Su Covenant Church on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway, or Palmer Church of the Nazarene on Hemmer Road and the Palmer-Wasilla Highway. The walk starts at both locations at 10 a.m. and ends at Mom and Pops Tesoro at the corner of the Palmer-Wasilla Highway and Trunk Road.

For more information about the walk, interested people may contact Shirley Novak, the Mat-Su coordinator, at 761-9242 or through e-mail at jsnovak@mtaonline.net.

Visitor Industry Charity Walk

May 10

Held in Anchorage at the Park Strip, the event helps raise money for the Mat-Su Boys and Girls Club. The event starts at 5:30 p.m., but don't eat dinner before the event, organizers warn.

That's because the event is often referred to as a "5K buffet." There are five themed food villas located on the route, where people can stop and eat treats. At the finish line, walkers can eat desserts, drink in the beer and wine garden, enjoy live music and entertainers such as clowns and jugglers and win a door prize, the best of which is a seven-day cruise.

By forming a Mat-Su team, the Mat-Su Convention & Visitors Bureau can designate all money raised by the team to go to the Mat-Su Boys and Girls Club. Registration forms are available at MSCVB and at the Boys and Girls Club.

A minimum adult registration fee of $30 is required, but team members are encouraged to raise more money through pledges. The minimum child registration is $15.

All Mat-Su team registrations must be submitted together by May 3. Each team member will receive an official bib and a "Yahoo! Mat-Su" hat. The Magic Bus will be available to shuttle people from Anchorage to the Mat-Su Visitor Centers.

For more information, interested people may contact Bonnie Quill at MSCVB at 745-5000, or Linda Anderson of the Mat-Su Boys and Girls Club at 357-2582.

American Cancer Society

Relay for Life

May 17

The Mat-Su Valley Relay for Life event is one of the largest events of the summer. For 24 hours, people set up "camp" at Colony High School on the track, and walk for cancer victims and survivors.

There are similar walks in 3,125 communities around the country, making it the largest nonprofit activity in the nation.

For 24 hours, teams of eight to 12 people walk around the track, after raising money through donations and pledges.

The event runs from 6 p.m. to 6 p.m. While not walking, many team members set up tents and camps.

At night, the way is lit by luminaries -- candles placed in bags adorned with the names of cancer victims and survivors. Luminaries in honor of people may be purchased even if people don't form a team.

The event opens with a cancer survivors lap, and from there, walkers take over and continue.

For more information about this year's event, interested people may contact Annie at 745-9127.

Great Strides Alaska

June 15

The event raises money and awareness for cystic fibrosis. It is held at Goose Lake Park in Anchorage, but it has a strong Valley feel. Last year, 112 participants walked, and half of them came from the Valley.

Last year, one Valley team led by Mary Ann Johnson had 39 Valley residents, and raised more than $3,800. This year, her goal is to organize a team of more than 50 Valley walkers.

The walk raises money for cystic fibrosis research.

For more information about the walk, or to join a team, interested people can call Johnson at 746-0955.

Valley Walk for Alzheimers

Sept. 14

The Valley Walk for Alzheimers is one of the more popular walks. Bubbling with fall colors and the crisp feel of fall, the Valley Walk for Alzheimers honors the memory of those who have died from the disease, as well as those who are over 90 and living without Alzheimers.

Registration is set for 9 a.m. in the Events Center on the Alaska State Fairgrounds, and the walk begins at 10 a.m.

The walk goes around the fairgrounds.

For more information about the walk, interested people can call the Alzheimers Resource of Alaska office at 746-3413.

In addition to these walks, there are a number of fun run/walk events in the Valley that benefit local organizations.

Keep checking the Frontiersman for updates as these events draw closer.