(NDG Wire) A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, said Confucius, but guests of The Bridge homeless assistance center received support with their journey in more ways than one. This year, guests from The Bridge are being trained and coached for the upcoming 2009 Help the Homeless WalkAThon & 5K, which takes place on Saturday, November 14 at Dallas City Hall. Before beginning the training program, guests were fitted at Run On! Dallas with new shoes and running gear, courtesy of New Balance.
Since their fitting, the clients have received instruction and motivation from Run On!’s expert trainers in Running 101, a six week program designed for the beginning runner. Discussion topics included injury prevention, stretching, form, cross training, racing, shoes, apparel and much more.
They are committed and determined to land on their feet. Through their 5K training, the homeless guests can further gain self-confidence and believe in obtaining their goals. Twice a week, in addition to their Run On! training sessions, the guests do stretching and aerobic workouts at The Bridge beginning at 6:00 a.m. Immediately afterwards they jog through downtown. During the day, the guests are focused on job training, community service and housing assistance.
Upon completion of the six week Run On! training course, the guests from The Bridge will be off and running in the Help the Homeless WalkAThon & 5K on November 14. They will also be actively involved in ceremonies celebrating the accomplishments of The Bridge since its opening in May 2008.
The Bridge running team will join thousands of walkers, runners and joggers as everyone takes steps to end homelessness on Saturday, November 14, 9AM. New this year is the addition of a 5K Run through Downtown Dallas. In addition, there will be a family fun walk, food, music and other fun activities.
Proceeds from this year’s WalkAThon & 5K will be used to support Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, operators of The Bridge: Dallas’ Way Back Home. People experiencing homelessness access opportunities at The Bridge, the area’s only centralized multi-service campus for care and housing.
The WalkAThon & 5K begin at Dallas City Hall Plaza, 1500 Marilla, Dallas. For more information and to register, visit www.helpthehomelessdallas.org.
