It's time for the 4th Annual Wa Wa Wally Waddle!

The 4th Annual Wa Wa Wally Waddle is happening!  It's a wonderful event as well as the largest fundraiser for YMCA Camp Wa Wa Segowea and it's taking place next Sunday, May 12th.   It begins at 7:30 am with Race Day registration taking place right up till 9:00 am.  At 9:30, the One Mile Kids run (for 13 and under) takes place, followed by the 100 yard Kids run at 9:45 (9 and under).  Both kids races are free, but you do need to register!  www.mhrrc.org

Then at 10:00 am, the main event begins.  Runners and walkers line up on the Vassar Farms Course and race for a few reasons.  The first, simply for the joy of running!  The Race is superbly organized by the Mid-Hudson Runners Club with great sponsors like MVP Health Care and others.  The course is a mostly flat closed dirt road with a closer look here.

A second reason is absolutely for the pies!  Where else can you win a pie for running?   Camp Segowea alumni get together for a Wa Wa tradition and bake some pies,  so instead of medals or trophies, we give these goodies to our overall male and female winners and age group winners!  (There's always more pies, and they're given as prizes in the post award free pie raffle, so it's worth sticking around!)

Lastly, and most important, the race itself is indeed the largest fundraiser for camp.  It's run by Camp Alumni and raises money so that Dutchess County children have an opportunity to go to camp.  In an interview last year, Josh Perks, race organizer  said "Camp should be credited for having a long-term positive impact on the lives of hundreds of Dutchess County residents since it opened in 1928." The Segowea experience gently encourages kids to try new things that take them out of their comfort zone. Many first-time Segowea campers never swam in a lake, sang taps, ate wild blueberries, hiked several miles, danced the Time Warp, or transformed from stranger to friend in just a few days.  Segowea creates a safe space for its campers to experience remarkable growth, learning about both self and others."

And of course, Josh is correct!  it's because of the Wa Wally Waddle and its walkers and runners that $10,000 has been raised to help kids have that unique Wa Wa experience.   Thank you all!

Thanks to all the sponsors this year too:  

MVP Health Care

Anthony C. DiLullo Financial Planner

Cold Moon Farm Bed & Breakfast

Mid-Hudson Oral Surgeons

Mid-Hudson Road Runners Club

Morris Associates Engineering

Roadkill Racing

Tubby's Bathtub Resurfacing

Zimmer Brothers Jewelers

Visit www.mhrrc.org to register online.

Here's a collage video from the past couple of years of the Wa Wa Wally Waddle!