April 28, 2005
Rubber soles ready? Welcome the 2005 Walk In
Aw, just take a walk, why dontcha. Get ambulatory. Cover some ground. Lace up those sneakers and hit the road. You’ll be healthier for the effort, and you might win a prize, too.
Why all the talking of walking? Because the 2005 Walk In is afoot, that’s why.
Now strolling into its third year, the annual Walk In is sponsored by the UW Transportation Office, the people who bring you the U-PASS. The friendly campuswide competition is a chance to shake off winter cobwebs and welcome the warmer weather — all while avoiding those ever-increasing prices at the gas pump.
“The spirit behind the whole thing — our goal — is to get people to come to campus in any way besides a motorized vehicle,” said Elena Fox, information specialist for the Transportation Office. “To encourage that, this office sponsors all kinds of programs, like the Ride in the Rain Challenge for bicyclists in January. The Walk In is in the same spirit.”
This year, organizers have bifurcated this bipedal bash, creating two Walk In seasons. There will be the Spring Challenge, from May 1 to June 30, and the Fall Challenge, from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31.
Fox said the first Walk In lasted a week and about 100 people participated. During last year’s three-month Walk In, about 400 people took to the streets to log miles, pedometers clicking apace. But by July the event had worn a little thin, Fox said, so the organizers revised the schedule a bit for the 2005 event.
“It’s so popular we thought, well, one month isn’t long enough — let’s take some of this energy and do it again in the fall. That way we can reward people for walking now and give them something to look forward to when things gear up again in the fall.” And with luck, the weather will remain good for both Walk In sessions.
Along the way, there will be chances for extra points in the form of games and special Walk In-related activities. There will be Campus Clues, a sort of scavenger hunt for a campus location; and Walk Talks, lectures on matters of importance to pedestrians, a Walk of the Week and even a Quote of the Week, where participants can write essays to compete for extra points (finally, an athletic event involving creative writing). Prizes will include gift certificates and all-cotton Walk In 2005 t-shirts.
Everything needed to begin is located at http://www.washington.edu/upass/walkin/.
