Be there or be square is the message being sent out by organizers of the 2010 Roy Financial Mayor’s Walk.
Groups wanting to get in on the action for this year’s edition of St. Albert’s premiere charity fundraiser have to get a seat at the table for an information session first. Attendance is mandatory, says event co-ordinator Heather McKinnon.
“If they want to participate in the Mayor’s Walk on June 19,” she said, “then they need to attend this session.” She added that it’s more important than just picking up registration packages and promotional posters.
While she is not releasing any other details on what exactly will transpire at the meeting, she did mention there are some important changes to details about charity participation and how the walk will transpire. It is also the best opportunity to have all of questions answered.
“There’s a lot of new information. There are a lot of changes happening this year. It’s not just because I want to say ‘howdy doody.’ It’s for their benefit.”
This year marks the walk’s 10th anniversary. Rather than showing signs of slowing down, it seems to be on a bit of an upswing and the organizers are running with it. While the 2008 edition didn’t even muster $70,000 in total pledges, there were approximately 400 people who collectively blew the roof off of that amount in 2009, bringing in a whopping $112,000 for 35 charities. Part of the increase was attributed to the recent discontinuation of the Great Human Race, a similar but larger Edmonton event. Some people were still scratching their heads about the boost and wondering what the future would bring. Organizers have firmly set their sights on bringing in $200,000 this time around.
“We doubled last year so we’re shooting for the moon this year.”
The Mayor’s Walk starts at Lions Park. Participants can choose to tackle either a 3-kilometre walk or an 8-kilometre run. Charities from any community can sign up and it is completely free. There is no registration fee. All of the costs are covered by sponsorship, primarily Roy Financial, and it is manned entirely by volunteers. This means that 100 per cent of all proceeds go straight to the charities. As an added bonus, the Mayor’s Purse is a special fund set up to be split between each St. Albert-based charity that raises a minimum of $1,000. With only two months left before the big day, now is a great time for each group to start beating the drum with its supporters.
The information session will take place on Tuesday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m. The location is St. Albert Parents’ Place at #10, 215 Carnegie Drive next to the Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club. Call McKinnon at 780-459-7377 or online at www.royfinancialmayorswalk.com to confirm your attendance.
