I am writing to comment on the community events that took place on Saturday in Albert Lea. Many folks may not know that Southwest Middle School held a fundraiser called the Tiger Trot where kids and adults can run or walk a 5K and our local YMCA held a five-mile run called the Fountain Lake 5 at the same time. The events started and ended at Brookside Education Center. I was there and can’t tell you how much I loved this event and how much fun and positivity there was surrounding health and fitness! To me, these are the kind of events that really make an impact. What I saw on Saturday was the following:

• I saw kids exercising and not really calling it that but having fun and smiling.

• I saw kids and adults offering support to each other and cheering for others they may not normally talk to.

• I observed that those who finished the race were proud of their physical accomplishment and chatting afterward about the experience and setting personal goals for next year.

• I heard my own child and his friends reminiscing about the experience in a positive way for the rest of the day!

• I saw kids and adults sharing a healthy snack and togetherness.

• I saw many volunteers who were donating their time for this important event.

To me, a community event that brings people together, raises money for a good cause and highlights health and fitness is the best kind! I was impressed with the turnout of kids and adults there for sure, but I know we could do even better and get more community participation in the future.

As a community it is important to embrace these activities and I feel strongly that kids learn from these events. Not just the lesson of “being active can be fun” (which is very important in its own right) but that the kids see that as a community we support these events. Kids do as we do. When we make a point to come together for events like this — and participate in them — we tell our kids that we feel this is important. We get our kids there and we walk or run to show them that we feel raising money for a good cause and being active are important to us.

I can tell you that my son and his friends will be doing the Tiger Trot again next year. And I also feel like those boys that I spent time with after the event, learned a bit more than just that finishing a race is fun. They saw a couple hundred people doing the same thing — cheering and celebrating activity. I know we have many of these types of events in our area each year and I feel we should try to participate in them as much as we can. They can make a lasting impact! Way to go Southwest and the YMCA!

 

Amy Pleimling

Albert Lea