NeighborWalks Final Celebration

 

Last night, January 30, was the NeighborWalks Final Celebration in the Riverside Central Elementary Cafeteria. Over sixty neighbors met for this grand finale for a neighborhood walking program that has met weekly in South East Rochester since August 2006. Each Tuesday, people of all ages and walks of life have gathered together for one hour of free walking with neighbors, education, door prizes, and fun! Walk topics have included a garden tour, the old Homestead Neighborhood, neighborhood safety, the flood of 1978, community resources, and nutrition, just to list a few.

This six month walking program was a pilot project funded through BlueCross® BlueShield® and organized by RNeighbors. It was based on the belief that neighbors who know each other create stronger neighborhoods, places that are safe and nurturing to live in. Plans to seek increased funding and branch out into additional neighborhoods are in the works.

Door prizes were generously donated by many Rochester organizations and business. Panera Bread donated bagels for each of the walks. The exercise, time to chat with neighbors, food, and prizes all worked together to encourage strong attendance over the last six months, from a cross section of neighbors.

The event included a potluck style meal featuring healthy sub sandwiches, a fun awards ceremony, prizes, entertainment by the Mayo High School Spartan Shakers hip-hop dance team, and a slide show with photos taken over the last six months.

If you haven't been a part of our walks, you're still welcome. We'd love to have you check out what this program is about and see the strong relationships that neighbors have built.

For more information check out the NeighborWalks website.