Get Ready! Get Set! Get Fit! Run/Walk Benefits Older Adult Fitness
Are you ready to run or walk for a good cause? The Baltimore County Department of Aging invites you to participate in its 10th annual Get Ready! Get Set! Get Fit! 5K Run Walk/1 Mile Walk fundraiser, which benefits older adult fitness programs in the agency’s senior centers. The race will be held September 18 at 8 a.m. at the Community College of Baltimore County Essex campus.
Last year, more than 1,000 people participated in the fall event, which draws people of all ages to run or walk the equivalent of 3.1 miles. For older adults and others who aren’t up for the challenge, there’s a 1 mile walk. For this year’s race a new intergenerational feature has been added - a 1 mile fun run for children. “We believe that fitness is multi-generational,” says Jill Hall, BCDA’s Chief of Senior Centers and Community Services. “By offering a range of course lengths all members of the family can participate.”
The Essex Campus 5K course includes both hills and flats, a challenge to those who are looking for an energizing workout on a Sundaymorning. One mile walkers can enjoy strolling around a flat area separate but close to the race course.
All proceeds from the event go directly back into keeping many of Baltimore County’s older adults healthy and active. “We are exceptionally proud of the senior center community and their efforts to raise funds to enhance the fitness centers and exercise programs in the county’s 20 senior centers,’’ said Hall., “Since 2007, over $240,000 has been contributed directly back into these programs and furthered our goal of offering first-class exercise facilities and wellness programs to the county’s older adults.” Generous sponsorships from Cigna, Whiting Turner, Comcast, Geresbeck’s, Baltimore Coffee and Tea Company, Towson Hot Bagels, Crystal Springs and Kaiser Permanente also help make each year a success.
The event will include a deejay from Timing is Everything who will provide the musical backdrop to an eventful day. Sponsor Brick Bodies will lead the warm up. Jessie’s Soul Line Dancers will help keep bystanders not participating in the race engaged. As in years past, the day includes an outdoor mini-health fair that will host fall prevention, gait analysis screenings and fun agility games.
The prevention activities brings public awareness about the need to reduce injuries among older adults due to falling. The race event also coincides with the National Council on Aging’s National Falls Prevention Week: Ready, Steady, Balance - Prevent Falls. For each of the past ten years, students studying nursing, pharmacy, and occupational therapy have assisted in the fall prevention screenings, medication checks, and balance screenings while handing out valuable educational materials. BCDA’s educational partners include students from Towson University, the University of Maryland, Notre Dame of Maryland University, and CCBC Catonsville. “The students bring such energy and creativity to these activities,’’ said Donna Bilz, BCDA program coordinator. Last year, about 75 students were involved. This year, as part of the agency’s “Brain Matters” initiative students will also develop fun brain health agility games to go along with the more serious screenings.
Diane Hunter of CCBC’s School of Health Professions, a faculty member and coordinator of field work for the Occupational Therapist Assistant students, says the students learn a lot from participating in the festivities as well. “They look forward to this event each year. It gives them a chance to interact with vibrant older adults who are concerned about maintaining their level of health and fitness as they age.”
Once the race is completed, BCDA Director Joanne Williams will present awards to the top three finishers overall, and the top three male and female finishers in each age category will receive special themed awards to commemorate the 10th anniversary. Those not placing but finishing the race will receive an anniversary themed ribbon as a keepsake.
However, most of the crowd will be anxiously awaiting the drawing of the $500 Fitness Pays door prize, sponsored by Van Dyke and Bacon Shoes. “The 5K events are very popular now so we needed something to set us apart from the competition,” says Hall. “The $500 random prize generates a lot of interest in the running community, especially for those individuals who are not able to get top place medals.”
Online registration now available. To learn more information, visithttp://www.baltimorecountymd.
The mission of the Baltimore County Department of Aging strengthens lives by connecting individuals to community resources, programs and services. Throughout the County, BCDA operates twenty senior centers and the Maryland Access Point for Baltimore County (MAP). For more information on the various programs provided by BCDA, visit www.baltimorecountymd.gov/aging
