Roxborough’s 11th annual Mother’s Day Walk/Run is Sunday

This Sunday, the Roxborough community will come together for the 11th Annual Mother’s Day Walk/Run.

Co-organizers Jackie Ashenfelter and Maureen Pownall had the idea after years of attending the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Philadelphia. 

“Every year we’d do the big one in Center City and we said, ‘you know, we’d love to walk our Valley Green,'” said Ashenfelter. “We have a great place here.”

The event will benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation & Friends Helping Friends with Breast Cancer organizations.

Friends Helping Friends with Breast Cancer is a local organization within the Roxborough and Manayunk communities that helps breast cancer patients juggle things like household duties, employment responsibilities and finds them transportation throughout their treatment.

Ashenfelter says the idea of a walk/run started 11 years ago with only about 25 people interested.

“I worked at the Kendrick Recreation Center here in Roxborough, and just started to get people together,” said Ashenfelter.

Ashenfelter is a personal trainer and fitness instructor who now works at Journey’s Way, a co-partner of the walk/run. Journey’s Way, an organization that provides resources and programs for adults ages 55 and over, will have members participating in the event.

“Another unique aspect of this event is that members from Journey’s Way have been training every Tuesday and Thursday just to walk for this event,” said Ashenfelter, “some of them have even made breast cancer bracelets.”

T-shirts at the race will feature the words “faith, courage, strength” on the front with a breast cancer ribbon.

Ashenfelter says this event is possible through connections throughout the area.

“People keep spreading the word,” said Ashenfelter, “we’ve grown through word-of-mouth, it’s pretty amazing.”

The event will start at 8 a.m., rain or shine, and feature a warm-up at 7:45 a.m. from the “One Fit Body” program featured at Journey’s Way.

The route is approximately 5 miles and starts at Journey’s Way at 403 Rector St., goes through Forbidden Drive to Valley Green and ends back at Journey’s Way.

There will also be a half mile mini walk that will consist of two loops around the Kendrick Recreation Center.

For more information, or to make a donation or volunteer, email roxboroughmothersdaywalk@yahoo.com.