BROOKINGS On Oct. 4, the Prairie Wanderers Volkssport Club is sponsoring a 5km (3.1 mile) and a 10km (6.2 mile) Dakota Nature Park Volksmarch. Registration will take place at Larson Nature Center, 1705 32nd St. S. Registration is 9 a.m. to noon. The fee is $4 for walkers who wish to receive the IVV credit stamp. All other walkers must register, but need not pay a fee.
The walk goes through Dakota Nature Park on sidewalks and bike trails. The walk is easily accessible to wheelchairs and strollers. The trail is rated 1 (easy).
This event is open to the public and families are encouraged to come out and enjoy the sport of walking.
To make the walk even more fun, placards with riddles, puzzles, and trivia will be placed on stakes along the route. Prizes will be awarded for correctly answering the questions.
Volksmarch is a German term which literally means peoples walk. It began in Germany and Austria as an informal activity for entire families who would set out for weekend walks along scenic, historic, or otherwise interesting trails. As the numbers of walkers increased, it was decided to organize into Clubs, to plan walks for each other. Servicemen and servicewomen who had duty in Europe participated in the walks and then brought the idea home to the United States.
The purpose of volksmarching is to encourage people of all ages to participate in the healthful hobby of hiking/walking on a non-competitive basis, thus making this an excellent recreational activity for the entire family. You do not have to be a member of any Volkssport club to participate in walks.
Volksmarches give people an opportunity to see new countryside and landmarks, meet other people, as well as collect incentive awards. It is not a contest. Emphasis is on walking for health, physical fitness, pleasure and fun.
The walk is conducted on a specific day or weekend. The sponsoring club marks out the trail and provides manned checkpoints.
The Prairie Wanderers Volkssport Club is a nonprofit organization. The club sponsors several walks in eastern South Dakota each year.
For information on additional scheduled walks, or information on Volksmarching in general, contact Betty at 605-695-1092, e-mail at [email protected], or check out the volkssporting website at ava.org.
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