Walk-a-Thon

a post from Lindsay

They did it! All 61 of our kids walked the 6.1 mile loop around Central Park last Tusday, with the help of eleven trusty chaperones (2 of us from the office, 6 interns, 2 parents, and 1 volunteer). Some people may shudder at the thought of being responsible for safely escorting a herd of abnormally energetic (though awfully sweet) kids 6.1 miles around a park – add to that the usual disgruntled New York City bikers, runners, walkers and occasional hot dog carts getting in your way (or maybe it’s us getting in their way – I suppose it’s a matter of perspective) and you’ve got a big job on your hands. But, in the end, it actually turns out to be a great experience for everyone – chaperones get to know each kid intimately as their personalities unfold through the stories they tell as they walk the loop, and kids feel a strong sense of accomplishment as they high five at the end of the trip. As an added bonus, we got a lot of free PR by traipsing around in our RBKids T-shirts, exploding with song and smiling faces. I hope some curious bystanders went home and Googled us!

Kicking off at about 9:30 in the morning, the walk was littered with snippets of enthusiastically sung songs (a passerby commissioned a song sung in unison by all of the kids at once, which prompted an improvised “This Joint Is Jumpin’” right about at the Onassis Reservoir), a lot of “Good morning sir! This is the Rosie’s Broadway Kids Walkathon!” and the occasional “How much longer???” Due to the promise of a Spirit Award, most kids were on their best behavior, encouraging positive thinking and keeping the pace. Lauren, one of the youngest in Team Bravo, coined our slogan for the walk, “Let’s DO this,” which was continually repeated throughout the 2 hours on the trail. Very motivational.

We made it through the “scattered showers” this morning with positive spirits, and ended the trip at around 12 noon with no injuries or lost children. Phew.

And here's some breaking news... the kids have turned in their sponsor forms and we have tallied the donations.... and they raised over $5500! What a huge accomplishment and great way for the kids to give back to this program they love.

Here are some pictures from the walk...