Walkathon
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(March 2011) |
Awalkathon(walk-a-thon),walking marathonorsponsored walkis a type of community or schoolfundraiserin which participants raise money by collecting donations or pledges forwalkinga predetermined distance or course. They are similar in format to other physical activity based fundraising events such asmarathonsandcyclingraces, but are usually non-competitive and lower intensity. The low intensity model is ideal for mobilizing broad-based community support, and as a result Walkathons usually target participants from a wide range of ages and economic backgrounds.
Walkathons are popular fundraisers for issues that affect large sections of the population. Most commonly, Walkathons focus on fighting or curing pervasivediseasesor ailments such asAIDS,cancer,diabetes,lupus,andarthritis,and participation is also often promoted as a symbol of empowerment, remembrance, or awareness of affected people and their relations.
Walkathons are also popular for elementary schools because they allow the children to make a visible contribution to their school, they build community, are fun, encourage healthy exercise, and can be very lucrative.
History
[edit]The first known walkathon was held inSan Juan, Puerto Ricoin 1953, by the Puerto Rican actor/comedian,Ramón Rivero,[1][2]better known as Diplo. He walked 80 miles (from the capital city of San Juan toPonce,on the other side of the island, to raise money for theLiga Puertorriqueña Contra el Cáncer(the Puerto Rican League Against Cancer). In that walkathon, Ramón Rivero raised the equivalent of $85,000 in four days. The walkathon turned into an historical event that became part of the collective consciousness of Puerto Ricans all over the world[2][1]and has been copied several times since, including in 2009, when the "League", in memory of the first event, did a "Diplo Returns to San Juan" walkathon, raising almost $200,000.[2][1]
In 1968, the first walkathon was held on the US mainland, sponsored by the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation. After receiving a national promo fromJohnny CarsonandEd McMahon,who were in theTwin Citiesfor a live performance ofThe Tonight Show,theMinneapolis, Minnesotawalkathon, called the "International Walk for Development", drew over 3,000 walkers to the 33-mile route through the streets of Minneapolis. The local organizers included two high school activists, Laurel Norton ofSt. Paul,and Howard Freedland ofMinneapolis,who convinced Johnny Carson to promote the event and organized local churches and synagogues to support the walk.[citation needed]
Additional walks were held inFargo, North DakotaandMoorhead, Minnesota,where 650 walkers finished the entire 33-mile route.[citation needed]
The other walkathon organizers included Harvey Silver and a former priest named Jack Healey. On a stopover in England, when returning from thePeace Corps,they saw adults participating in sponsored walks to raise money for causes. Together with Bob Schumacher, who provided the public relations support, the first walkathons were held in the US, primarily with children walking, rather than adults.[citation needed]
On 8 May 1971, the largest nationally coordinated walkathon up to that time saw over 150,000 American walkers on several dozen routes throughout the nation walk over 2 million miles, raising over $1.2m to fight hunger. These "Walks for Development" were coordinated by the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation. The largest 8 May walk was inMilwaukee, Wisconsin,with an estimated 20,000 walkers on a 31-mile route. Other large marches that day were inIndianapolis,Eugene,andPhiladelphia.[3]
The concept immediately caught on with other groups, and many organizations soon adopted walkathons for fundraising.
The record for the world's largest recorded walkathon was set by theIglesia ni Cristo,a religious organization based in thePhilippines.Taking place 15 February 2014, it was called theIglesia ni Cristo World Wide Walk For Those Affected byTyphoon Yolanda/Haiyan.It broke twoGuinnessworld records: largest charity walk in a single venue (Manila, Philippines) with 175,000 participants, and largest charity walk in 24 hours for multiple venues (fromChristchurch,New Zealand toHawaii, USA) with 519,521 participants.[4][5]
Notable walkathons
[edit]Etymology
[edit]The termwalkathondates to the 1930s, when it was used to describe a variant of the competitivedance marathon.[6]It is aportmanteauof the wordswalkandmarathon.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcWalkathon Guide, a blog about organizing walkathons
- ^abcPuerto Rican Senate Resolution declaring May 29 of each year as the "Day of Ramón Ortiz del Rivero (Diplo)"
- ^AP (9 May 1971). "150,000 march in U.S. to aid hungry".Eugene Register-Guard.
- ^"Iglesia ni Cristo's Worldwide Walk breaks 2 Guinness world records".Philippine News Agency.15 February 2014.Retrieved16 February2014.
- ^Leslie Ann Aquino (15 February 2014)."INC smashes Guinness Record".Manila Bulletin.Retrieved16 February2014.
- ^Frank M. Calabria,Dance of the Sleepwalkers: The Dance Marathon Fad,Popular Press, 1993, p.17
External links
[edit]| External audio | |
|---|---|
 You may view a newsreel of Rivero in the world's first"Walk-A-Thon"here |
- DIY walkathon guide for schools
- List of major walkathons
- Walkathon Guide, a site selling walkathon organizing tools
- Walkathon resources collected by pledge drive software vendor
