The Benefits of Joining A Walking Group
As a Grouper Social Ambassador I am blessed to be able to work with Louisa Neumann, who works for Grouper as a Business Leader/Member Engagement. Ed Ryan introduced me to Louisa through an email exchange. It’s great because Louisa and I both live in Portland, Oregon.
I am very involved with the AVA (American Volkssport Association, or American’s Walking Club) and our local clubs in Oregon and SW Washington, so when the Columbia River Volkssport Club (CRVC) held its recent (and annual) pre-Superbowl Walk, I suggested to Louisa that we invite GrouperWalks members to come and walk, too.
Louisa’s help was invaluable as she organized inviting GrouperWalks members to the event. I worked with our CRVC club president, Ed Hainline, to have a table at the walk; he was very helpful and embraced the idea of having Grouper walkers join our AVA community.
We had a nice group on that Saturday, despite the weather being rainy and cold. One of my AVA friends was celebrating his 80th birthday; he brought his own Costco cake to share with all the walkers. We had coffee, tea, water, and snacks. We also shared brochures about upcoming AVA walk events in Canada and Washington.
It was great to look around and see Grouper folks and AVA folks connecting.
The AVA is all about socialization and walking and sharing meals together. Through walking clubs and walking events across the United States and Canada, and even internationally, this organization naturally creates lifelong friendships over time.
We broke into two groups. There was an 11k walk route and a 5k walk route. We had GrouperWalks members in both walks, and I helped with the 5k walkers.
Our walks always begin with a group photo, followed by some quick announcements before heading off. The 11k walk went through the Alameda Ridge area (neighborhood with stairs) and to a golf course. The 5k route went through neighborhoods and to the extension college campus of the University of Oregon.
GrouperWalks members seemed to enjoy the walk and engaged with the AVA walkers. One Grouper couple joined the CRVC walking club, which was the best outcome between the AVA teaming up with Grouper. One gentleman ended up in the 11k walk group by mistake but he enjoyed the walk and found someone who also likes to golf, so there may have been a connection there to golf together in the future.
Louisa and I will be looking for other AVA walk events that we can invite GrouperWalks members to join and walk. The payoff is always seeing the smiles of people who are socializing and engaged (and perhaps some new members joining the local AVA walking clubs).
If you live in Oregon and want to get involved with the local AVA clubs and their walks, please check out www.otsva.org. This is the Oregon website which has information for all the clubs in Oregon and the club just across the border in Washington. You can access our AVA magazine, Checkpoint, for information from our region, and to find walks. It’s a good resource.
The AVA, like many clubs nationwide, has seen a decline in membership and participation. Through its partnership with Grouper, the AVA hopes to connect with new older adults who enjoy walking and the camaraderie of a club. The AVA excels at hosting fun, social walking events that bring people together through fitness and friendship. As highlighted in the documentary Join or Die, civic engagement is vital for strong communities. Grouper members joining walking clubs such as GrouperWalks and the AVA can help revitalize and strengthen the future of organized walking programs.
In the future I will be walking with Walk with a Doc and working on putting together some walks for Grouper members in the Portland and SW Washington area. I really hope to meet more GrouperWalks members in the Portland Metro area.
Follow Pat on Instagram: zigzag_walker