Volksmarch

American Volkssport Walk coming to Colfax

This January, Colfax becomes an official site for a walking tour from the American Volkssport Association (AVA). The year-round six mile walk guides participants to some of the most historic sites of Colfax including the Perkins House, St. Ignatious Hospital, and the unique architecture of the downtown core. More details on the Colfax walk can be found at the Lilac City Chapter of AVA at http://www.lilaccityvolks.com/colfax.html.  

The Colfax walk is be open to the general public and begins at Colfax Library where participants pick up an official AVA guide. The walk can be completed for fun or can be recorded by AVA members to meet their exercise goals. Those wanting official AVA points must conclude their walk at the library to record their completion.

Library staffer, Shirley Cornelius, has been an AVA member since 1989 and hopes local walks will draw more visitors to our region. Cornelius is also focused on a guided historic walk for this spring along with developing other courses throughout rural Whitman County.

AVA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting physical fitness and good health by providing fun-filled, safe exercise; including noncompetitive walks and hikes, bike rides, swims, and in some regions cross-country skiing and snow shoeing. This movement, called volkssporting, began in Europe in 1968 and today has spread to 28 countries worldwide.

Walking is the most popular of all U.S. volkssporting activities and has been identified by the U.S. Surgeon General as the most beneficial form of exercise.  Since its first U.S. event in 1976, AVA now boasts of a nationwide, grassroots network of chartered sports clubs. The number of sanctioned events annually has grown from one in 1976 to more than 3,000 today!

Many people adopt volkssporting as part of their lifestyle, and have completed hundreds of events and thousands of kilometers. While many begin walking for fitness (that inevitable medical wake-up call), most continue because of friendships and social benefits offered through local clubs.

The unique aspect of volkssporting is the achievement awards program whereby participants are recognized for the number of events completed and for the distance accomplished.  Record books are stamped when the events are completed and incentives given to members as motivation for further activity.

For additional information, contact Shirley Cornelius at Whitman County Library 509-397-4366.

For additional information about the club and other local walks visit www.lilaccityvolks.com or the 

national AVA website address is www.ava.org.