04-22-2007   MS WALKATHON

The day was just beautiful with blue skies and sunshine everywhere.  Temperature around 75 degrees.  A large turnout of walkers for the Sunday morning MS Walkathon.  The local newspaper reported 750 walkers.  Six ham radio operators provided logistical and safety communications for the event.  Participating radio amateurs were: 

Kurt     KI4FWB

Bill       N3TCR

Roy     N2CSQ

Jay      KI4TXP

Jeff      KB3FIO  ( ARES EC )

Rick     N3RO

In the picture below L to R,  Roy N2CSQ,  Jay KI4TXP and Bill  N3TCR meet to discuss radio positioning.  Bill, N3TCR "shadowed" the event official while Roy headed to the RESTSTOP ( see later pic ).

Soon we were joined by Kurt, KI4FWB, who, along with Jay, KI4TXP, roamed the walker's course looking for any safety communication needs.  L to R: Jay KI4TXP and Kurt KI4FWB welcomed by Roy, N2CSQ.

Rick, N3RO, drove the walkathon course as the "SAG" vehicle.  Fortunately, due to the comfortable weather and the rather level course, no one needed a ride back to the ambulance station.  Everyone is in place:  Firetruck, ambulance and N3RO "SAG":

The local baseball team, The Frederick Keys, mascot Keyote, cheered all the walkers on at the starting line.  Here he gives, Rick, N3RO a personal "pep rally":

Below is a view from the N3RO "sag" vehicle of the last of the walkers.  This picture represents only about 1/3 of the walkers as the other 2/3 had already reached the top of the hill and turned left.

Another view of the walkathon through the windshield of the N3RO "SAG" vehicle:  ( not a bad looking Camero with racing tires on the back either )

As I drove ( "sagged" ) by the midpoint RESTSTOP,  I caught a glimpse of Roy, N2CSQ  who was providing the radio support for the RESTSTOP function. Water, fruit and other nutrition were supplied by the reststop volunteers.

Overseeing the radio operators at the MS Walk and later that day at the March of Dimes Walk was our newly appointed Emergency Coordinator ( EC ) for ARES in Frederick county, Jeff - KB3FIO:

It should be noted that most of these same radio operators also provided radio support for the Frederick March of Dimes walkathon in the afternoon.   As N3RO had other committments for the afternoon, pictures are unavailable for the 2nd, March of Dimes, walkathon.  The weather just couldn't have been nicer for the walkathons and the turnout showed it!