The Arc of Northern Virginia’s Virtual Team Challenge includes a Team Distance Walk. Instead of calculating winners by time, the Team Walk will award prizes to the teams that walk the combined greatest distances. (“Walking” includes distances covered by those who use mobility assistance devices).
The “teams” can be any group that comes together for the cause. A participants team could be:
Employees and/or coworkers; teammates on on a little league or school sport; members of a civic organization; a book club; family and friends; a scout troop; a Sunday school and a bowling league.
Any group of people who care about individuals with disabilities and the families that care for them are eligible to register as a team.
The fact that the team challenge is a virtual event this year means that participants can do their walk anywhere. Anyone can register as part of a team or an individual, wherever they live. And they can recruit friends, family members, care givers, work colleagues, teammates, and club members wherever they live.
The distance traveled is combined with others on a participants team, resulting in their total team distance. Walking teams can have up to 10 members. Each participant chooses one day during the event window that they will do their walk. On this day, the participant records their distance for that one walk. Individual walkers will report their distances, and are compiled to determine the final team results. This is meant to be a fun walk, one that is pet, family, wheelchair and even stroller friendly.
A virtual walk allows the event to continue while still following physical distancing guidelines. But physical distancing doesn’t mean isolating. There’s a virtual community in this with all participants. People can share how they’re training, why they’re walking for people with disabilities, and then post their finishing photos online using the hashtag #WalkForInclusion.
The walk must be completed any time between Sept. 4 starting at noon until the following Saturday, Sept. 12. Participants/teams should post their distance to the online race page.
The race awards program will be live online on Sunday, Sept. 13.
For more information or to register, visit thearcofnova.org/2020-team-challenge-5k-race-goes-virtual.
