PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A free springtime walking program is returning to several Philadelphia public parks, encouraging participants to meet their neighbors and attain their fitness goals.
The We Walk PHL initiative offers community walks every day at various times in nearly 20 spots throughout the city. The Cobbs Creek Park contingent meets every Monday at 5 p.m.
“This is breaking up isolation. This is bringing people together. This is communities being born within communities,” said Nicole Seahorne Hameen, the community program coordinator for the Fairmount Park Conservancy. The nonprofit, along with Philadelphia Parks and Rec and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, are also behind the effort.
“I’m a caregiver and an only child, so everything is on me. So to transition from one hat to another, I use walking as a means to be able to clear my mind and clear my thoughts,” said Denise Thaxton, a We Walk PHL participant.
“I come out here, I can freely cry, freely fuss. I can get it out of my system.”
Charlotte Cobb is hoping to make friends and share ideas to strengthen the Cobbs Creek community.
“I’ve been putting it off and putting it off that I was going to join this walk. I’ve been looking at it for the past three or four years, but this year I decided I need to get healthy, so let me get on board,” she said.
For more information on how to sign up, visit My Philly Park.