Minot Area Team Wellness is gearing up for spring with the announcement of WalkMinot 2011, a series of community walks that will be held this spring and summer at different locations throughout Minot.
"This is our second summer offering the walks, and we offered walks throughout the winter as well. We want to continue to promote families getting out and walking, because it's something that a lot of people can do and are able to do," Paul Brekke, member of Minot Area Team Wellness, said.
"It's also a great way to get out and see different parts of Minot, and meet some new people," he added.
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Katina Tengesdal/MDN - - Paul Brekke, member of Minot Area Team Wellness, walks at the MSU dome. Brekke led some of the Team Wellness Winter Walks, and is now gearing up for the summer walks.
WalkMinot is designed to create awareness of Minot's outdoor trails system and promote physical activity. The walks are free and open to any community members that wish to participate, with no registration required.
A leader will be present at each walk to show the group through a different area of Minot.
"With the walk leaders and different locations, we were hoping to get different parts of the city covered, and each leader knows a little something about the area they will be walking in," Brekke said.
The walks will be kicked off by the third annual "Doc Walk," led by Dr. Dawn Mattern. The Doc Walk will be held May 17 at 6:30 p.m. in Oak Park.
Other leaders include John MacMartin, Eastwood Park resident, who will show walkers around the Eastwood Park neighborhood; Verla Rostad at the Scandinavian Heritage Park; Rich Berg at the Dakota Boys & Girls Ranch, Kim Thompson at the Roosevelt Park Zoo; Ron Merritt at the trail from Wee Links to the Bark Park; and Bonnie Kemper through downtown Minot.
Each walk lasts about an hour, and walkers are free to participate at their own pace.
"There's no right or wrong way to participate in this," Brekke said. "The walk lasts about an hour, but if people want to come and walk for a half hour and leave, that's fine too."
"Our goal is just to encourage people to get out and start walking," he said. "If one or two people start walking more because of this, then that's something we've accomplished."
Schedule
The WalkMinot 2011 schedule is as follows:
May 17, 6:30 p.m., Oak Park
May 24, 10 a.m., Eastwood Park neighborhood, meet at Roosevelt Pool south parking lot
June 7, 6:30 p.m., Scandinavian Heritage Park, meet at Town & Country parking lot.
June 21, 10 a.m., 4th Avenue Trail, meet at Dakota Boys & Girls Ranch horse barn
July 5, 6:30 p.m., Roosevelt Park Zoo, meet at the zoo front gate.
July 19, 10 a.m., trail near the Souris River, meet at Wee Links.
Aug. 2, 6:30 p.m., downtown Minot, meet at the Parker Senior Center parking lot.