Get out, get moving!
That will be the theme of the day Saturday at the inaugural Move! festival in Hartford.
“Taking five more steps a day, or ten more steps a day can help you realize that a healthier lifestyle can be within your reach,” said Kyrinda Richardson, Youth Programs Manager at the Urban League of Greater Hartford.
Move! is being hosted by Hartford Marathon Foundation and the Urban League of Greater Hartford. It will take place at Keney Park, near the Woodland Street Entrance at the Intersection of Woodland and Greenfield Streets.
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Activities kick off with a 5K and 1 mile run-walk at 9 a.m., followed by a kids’ run at 10:15 a.m. Various activities will continue until 11 a.m.
A $20 event fee for adults and a $10 fee for those 13 to 21 includes a T-shirt. Children 12 and under can join in for free.
Historic Keney Park is serene now, but it will be a different story on Saturday.
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“There will be tons of energy here," Richardson said.
The park’s green space will be transformed for the inaugural festival.
“We're trying to catch people, all walks of life, pun, and no pun intended, to be able to get physically fit and active in whatever way they see fit,” Richardson said.
Runners and walkers of all ages, abilities, and fitness levels are welcome to take their marks at the park entrance and participate in the races.
“People can get physically active, physically fit together, whether they're expert runners, or if they just walk to the bus stop or the corner store,” Richardson said.
After the races, a live DJ will pump up the party with a variety of other activities to get people moving.
“They will see food, produce, double Dutch, football, Zumba, Tai Chi, even sumo balls, bicycles, and horses,” Richardson said.
Move! also aims to serve other needs beyond fitness for the greater Hartford community. All proceeds from the event will go toward the Urban Leagues work to improve racial equity and economic advancement through education, employment, housing, and health programs.
“Urban League helps families all across the socio-economic lines,” Richardson said. “But with poor health, you're not able to get a job, you're not able to purchase your first home, or you're not able to enjoy the quality of life that you deserve.”
Errol Thompson, a Hartford man who plans to attend the Move! festival, says he is glad to see the new event bring neighbors side-by-side.
“It’s a good look for the community,” Thompson said. “Activity keeps you together. Togetherness then, which we all need, to help and support a community, and play a major part for the kids and for the future the kids.”
Anyone who wants to join the Move! Festival can register online, or sign up in person at Keney Park on Saturday.
