MD-Walkers-Maryland Volkssport Assoc. 501c3 nonprofit

Maryland Volkssport Association a 501 c 3 non-profit organization- promoting healthy lifestyles .
Fun walks and walk at your own pace. 5-km (1 hour) 10-km (2 hours) ask at start table if you want to walk with another walker. Come and have fun. Below is the long story of our walking sport.  Just a fun walk that has a German name. Come out and have fun!!!  Please pay the walk fee of $3 to keep this site going.  We are part of the AVA-America's Walking Clubs in the USA.
The Maryland Volkssport Association pays for this site.  We have several walking clubs in Maryland and we sponsor non-competitive walking events throughout the year. For information on all walks in Maryland and the metro area checkout www.mdvolks.org/ or go to our national website my.ava.org to find walks all over the USA.  At the my.ava.org site find Events, then click on Maryland or State you are looking for a walk.
Just a note to remind everyone that we post these walks for everyone to decide if they would like to attend. We are unable to attend all of the walks but other walkers at the event will be happy to explain our sport or wait at the sign-in table and someone would be glad to walk with you. We are always at the Freestate events so look for Bill or Linda. Thanks.
The walks listed on the meet-up group are walks we will have members from other clubs attending. At each event we have a short trail that you can walk in about one (1) hour and we have a longer trail you can walk in about two (2) hours.
THEY ARE FUN WALKS TO DO BY YOURSELF, OR WITH YOUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS, AT YOUR OWN PACE. ADEQUATE TIME IS ALLOWED TO FINISH THE EVENT. YOU CAN FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS, ON THE INTERNET, OR BY ATTENDING SCHEDULED EVENTS AND PICKING UP BROCHURES ABOUT UPCOMING WALKS. EVENTS ARE LISTED ON THE INTERNET my.ava.org. Most clubs have newsletters and social events.and group walks for their members..
WHY DO WE WALK?
FOR FITNESS, FUN AND FRIENDSHIP. OUR EVENTS GIVE PARTICIPANTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THINGS THEY MIGHT MISS IF THEY DROVE, RATHER THAN WALKED, THROUGH AN AREA. OUR WALKING EVENTS ARE MANY THINGS, BUT ABOVE ALL THEY ARE JOINING WITH OTHER PEOPLE – ON A TRAIL, THROUGH A PARK OR HISTORICAL AREAS, OR RIGHT IN YOUR OWN NEIGHBORHOOD --- FOR EXERCISE AND ENJOYMENT.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
OUR GOAL IS TO PROMOTE PHYSICAL FITNESS AND GOOD HEALTH BY ENCOURAGING EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE. OUR ACTIVITIES ARE GEARED TOWARD PROVIDING WHOLESOME RECREATION AND EXERCISE FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS, AS INDIVIDUALS, GROUPS, AND FAMILIES.
DO I HAVE TO WALK FAST?
WALK AT YOUR OWN PACE: GO AS FAST OR AS SLOW AS YOU WANT. RUN OR POWER WALK IF YOU WANT TO BE MORE AEROBIC. STROLL IF YOU WISH. STOP TO PICNIC, SHOP, OR SIGHT SEE IF YOU WANT. SOME PEOPLE WALK WITH THEIR DOGS. JOGGERS ALSO WELCOME. HOW FAR DO I HAVE TO WALK? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?
ALL WALKS HAVE A 5-KM 3.1 MILES AMD A 10-KM 6.2 MILES TRAIL. YOU WALK AT A MODERATE PACE, IT TAKES MOST PEOPLE TWO HOURS TO WALK 10-KM AND ONE HOUR TO WALK A 5-KM TRAIL. MORE  DIFFICULT TRAILS TAKE LONGER.
DO WE WALK IN THE RAIN AND EVENTS ARE HELD RAIN OR SHINE, SO WALKERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COME PREPARED FOR ANY KIND OF REASONABLE WEATHER.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
EACH WALK IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. EACH WALKER IS CHARGED A MODEST WALK FEE FOR PARTICIPATION AT OUR EVENTS. THE FEE INCLUDES PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS PROGRAM, WHICH RECOGNIZES ATTAINMENT OF SPECIFIED LEVELS OF CUMULATIVE EVENT AND DISTANCE TOTALS. A COMMEMORATIVE EVENT AWARD IS SOMETIMES AVAILABLE. THE AWARD (PATCH OR PIN) COSTS A FEW DOLLARS MORE TO PURCHASE.
COMPLETE THE DISTANCE AND REDEEM OFFICIAL RECORD BOOKS AT ESTABLISHED MILESTONES FOR AN ATTRACTIVE CERTIFICATE, PATCH, AND HATPIN TO RECOGNIZE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT. EVERYONE IS A WINNER! EVENT RECORD BOOKS STAMPED ONCE FOR EACH EVENT NO MATTER WHICH DISTANCE WALKED OR HOW MANY TIMES YOU COMPLETE THE TRAIL. REDEEM AT MILESTONES: 10 EVENTS, 30 EVENTS, 50 EVENTS, ETC. AT EACH EVENT, BY PAYING THE MODEST CREDIT FEE OF $3 YOU GET BOTH BOOKS STAMPED AND PROVIDE FUNDS TO CONTINUE OUR WALKING SPORT. IT IS UP TO YOU IF YOU HAVE BOOKS BUT THE $3 FEE IS APPRECIATED.