ALIVE! Press Release – StepALIVE! 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 13, 2021

The 40^th Annual StepALIVE! Walkathon to Benefit All ALIVE! Programs

(Alexandria, VA) – ALIVE! is pleased to announce that the 40^th Annual StepALIVE! Walkathon is Sunday, October 17, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. The 5-mile group walk through Old Town, Alexandria will start and finish at the parking lot of First Christian Church located at 2723 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22302, which is also the main office for ALIVE!. Pre-registration and T-shirt pick-up begins at 1:15 p.m., and the post-walk celebration is from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.

StepALIVE! supporters can also walk in solidarity with ALIVE! on their own or in a small group with their congregation, family, or community members in neighborhoods, places of worship, local parks, or other locations of their choice. All are asked to maintain safety and health guidelines.

Walkers are encouraged to register in advance through the StepALIVE! website www.stepalivewalk.org. Individual walkers and teams can raise money through their fundraising pages. Make a tax-deductible donation in support of a walker or team, or to StepALIVE! in general. There will be prizes for the team with the most walkers and most money raised.

This year’s StepALIVE! fundraising goal of $65,000 will benefit all ALIVE! programs which have worked extremely hard to respond to increased demand during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The funds raised by StepALIVE! will allow ALIVE! to continue providing food, shelter, emergency financial assistance, and eviction prevention to thousands of Alexandrians struggling with poverty and hunger.

As an interfaith nonprofit founded in 1969, the walking route through Old Town will pass by 8 of the 48 ALIVE! member congregations: First Christian Church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, Christ Church, the Basilica of Saint Mary Catholic Church, Old Presbyterian Meeting House, Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Washington Street United Methodist Church, and Alfred Street Baptist Church. Watering stations will be setup at Christ Church and Alfred Street Baptist Church. Christ Church is also the turnaround point for walkers wishing to walk 5K instead of 5 miles.

Live music will be provided by the Alexandria Citizen Band for the pre-registration and kick off. The post-walk celebration will feature the StepALIVE! Bluegrass Band. Banjoman Frank Cassel will team up with Fred Nelson and Roger Williams (Three Boys Night Out band) and Ginger Beecher (Taste of Bluegrass band) to sing and pick traditional bluegrass music using banjo, guitar, mandolin, and acoustic bass fiddle.

Sponsors this year include Alfred Street Baptist Church, Blaszkow Legal PLLC, Ruth L. Chamowitz & Michael J. Chamowitz, Fairlington United Methodist Men, and Oliff PLC.