Don’t run, walk—for a good cause

It’s less strenuous and easier on your knees than running, and walking can also help raise money for a couple of worthy causes in the next couple of weeks.

On Saturday, October 2, the National Alliance for Mental Illness will hold its Seventh Annual 5K (three-mile) NAMIWalks for the Mind of America event starting at the Santa Monica Third Street Promenade.

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. and, following opening ceremonies, the walk starts at 10:00 a.m. Several thousand are expected to take part in this fitness fundraiser to fight the stigma of mental illness, raise public awareness of the issue and support NAMI Signature Programs that are offered free to those in need.

Visit NAMI Los Angeles County Walk for all the particulars. And if you’re joining the effort a little late, not to worry—donations may be submitted online or mailed over the next two months.

Next, lace up your walking shoes for AIDS Walk LA on Sunday, October 17. This is the nation’s first and most successful charity walk to raise funds for public education and direct services to people with HIV/AIDS. From its modest beginnings in 1985, with some 4,500 participants raising $673,000, AIDS Walk LA has grown into an event that attracts nearly 25,000 walkers who raise several million dollars a year for HIV/AIDS-related services throughout the region.

This 10K (six-mile) walk begins and ends at West Hollywood Park, just across San Vicente Boulevard from the Pacific Design Center. Check-in opens at 8:30 a.m., the preliminaries and warm-up continue at 9:15 a.m., and walkers head out at 10:00 a.m. for their two-to-three-hour jaunt.

It’s fun, the free sponsored refreshments are great, and the cause is righteous. Visit the AIDS Walk LA home page for full details, and sign up online.

Posted 9/30/10