PRESS RELEASE: September 29, 2011
Contacts: Great Lakes Seaway Trail Volkssport Association President and Trailmaster Daryl Giles, 315-646-1000 x200. Or AVA Northeast Regional Director Doug Reynolds, 518-286-3057
Albany-Based AVA Leader Helps Inaugurate First-Ever VolksWalk
American Volkssport Association Northeast Regional Director Doug Reynolds (2nd from right) of Rensselaer, NY, helped make the first-ever Great Lakes Seaway Trail VolksWalk in the historic 1812 community of Sackets Harbor, NY, a resounding success.
Reynolds provided walkers with his special NE Regional Director stamp for the Volkssport logbooks used to qualify for pins and patches. Reynolds promotes the leisure walking sport throughout New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Joining Reynolds to promote the War of 1812-theme event included (l to r) John Lundy portraying 1812 U.S. President James Monroe, Great Lakes Seaway Trail Volkssport Association President and Trailmaster Daryl Giles and Vice-President Faith Lustik, and Barbara O’Keefe (far right) of the Fort La Presentation Association. The Association is developing a Great Lakes Seaway Trail 1812 VolksWalk in cooperation with the City of Ogdensburg, NY, for 2012.
Canadian Volkssport Federation Past President Graham Fawcett of Greely, Ontario, was among the inaugural Great Lakes Seaway Trail VolksWalkers that included groups from Kingston, Ontario; and New York’s Finger Lakes, Buffalo/Niagara Frontier and Southern Tier regions, and local residents.
1812-period costumed interpreters provided an historic atmosphere along the 5k and 10k walking routes. Those who missed the inaugural event can purchase maps at Ontario Place Hotel to take the walk until November 30, 2011 and earn credit for their logbooks.
Future Great Lakes Seaway Trail War of 1812 VolksWalks are planned for Erie, PA; and Buffalo, Youngstown, Oswego, Sackets Harbor, and Ogdensburg, NY. For more information, call 315-646-1000 x200 or go online to www.seawaytrail.com/volkssport.
The new healthy outdoor fitness program is a project of the nonprofit Seaway Trail Foundation, Sackets Harbor, NY. The Foundation promotes travel and tourism education and initiatives along the 518-mile freshwater shoreline of the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River and Lake Erie in New York and Pennsylvania.
“Volksmarching walks fit perfectly with the Great Lakes Seaway Trail motto of exploring our National Scenic Byway ‘in your own time, at your own pace, and in your own style’,” says Great Lakes Seaway Trail President & CEO Teresa Mitchell. “If this healthy “let’s get up and move” initiative grabs the public’s attention as much as the Great Lakes Seaway Trail geocaching adventure that began in 2010, we expect to see a similar positive impact on our byway communities Trailwide.
Background:
Volkssports are non-competitive activities/events; leisure-paced healthy outdoor recreation opportunities – walking, swimming, bicycling, cross-country skiing, etc. - for people of all ages. VolksWalks of 3.1 miles (5 km) or 6.2 miles (10km) may be enjoyed at one’s own pace individually, as families or groups, or with a pet where permitted.
Sackets Harbor, NY had an active Volksmarch walking club known as the North Country Wanderers from 1975 to 2007.
The Great Lakes Seaway Trail is a National Scenic Byway, a National Recreation Trail, and a state bicycle route in New York and Pennsylvania.
Great Lakes Seaway Trail Volkssport Association President & Trailmaster Daryl Giles participated in her first Volkswalk when her husband Dean was with the military in Germany. She is developing walks with community leaders along the 518-mile byway.
Two other AVA-sanctioned clubs on the Great Lakes Seaway Trail: Niagara Frontier Volkssport Club and Niagara Escarpment Volkssport Association in Buffalo, NY.
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The Finger Lakes Region Volkssport Club members participating in this first Great Lakes Seaway Trail VolksWalk are (back row left to right): David Darrow, Stan and Sue Connelly, John Lundy portraying President James Madison; (front row l to r): Doug and Cinda Gausman, Vicki Darrow holding the “first Great Lakes Seaway Trail VolksPup” Benoni, and Colleen Hailey.
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Volkssporters from Kingston, Ontario, helped make the first-ever Great Lakes Seaway Trail VolksWalk in the historic 1812 community of Sackets Harbor, NY, a resounding success on Saturday. Left to right are: John and Dylan Bennink, and Donna and David Philllips, all members of a Kingston-based volkssport club. At the far right is Great Lakes Seaway Trail Volkssport Association Vice-President Faith Lustik with Association President and Trailmaster Daryl Giles behind her. | Jodi (right) and Jamie Kemple of Theresa, NY, learned about the first-ever Great Lakes Seaway Trail VolksWalk at Fort Drum’s Super Signup Day and decided to try the non-competitive leisure walking activity. The theme of this first walk was the area’s War of 1812 history.
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