Dozens walk “7 Miles for 7 Generations”

More than 60 Akwesasne community members took part in a 7-mile walk Friday meant to raise diabetes awareness and raise funds for a diabetes care facility.

Participants gathered at the St. Patrick’s Church parking lot on Church Street in Hogansburg. From there, they headed south into Frogtown either on foot, rollerblades, or bicycles to begin their 7-mile voyage.

“The (walk) was held to raise money for the Diabetes Centre for Excellence and also to get people more aware of diabetes and how it affects everybody,” said Amanda Garrow, lifestyle coach with the Mohawk Healthy Heart program.

The walk was organized by staff at the Let’s Get Healthy/Mohawk Healthy Heart and Diabetes programs at the St. Regis Mohawk Health Services.

The walk/run/bike/roll took participants through Frogtown on a route that was tested last year by Let’s Get Healthy Director Janine Rourke. The organizers had first discussed several other routes in Akwesasne before finding a low-traffic, looping, hilly route in Frogtown.

“This route is perfect so we’ll always have it there,” said Debbie Terrance, director of the St. Regis Mohawk Health Services.

Also perfect was the weather on Friday. Garrow said last year’s walk around the same date was cold and rainy and few participants showed up.

“We got really, lucky this year,” she said.

Skies were clear, the sun was shining and conditions were ideal.

“We were also really, really happy this year that there were a lot of kids involved,” Garrow said. The walk just happened to fall on a day when local schools were off.

For those who walked, the route took approximately 2 to 2 ½ hours.

The Let’s Get Healthy staff stood at the end cheering on those arriving back. Garrow said the last two walkers to make it all seven miles were an elderly man and a young boy.

“The boy wanted to quit,” Garrow said, “But the man told him ‘No, you have to keep me company.” They came across the last hill with the police escort following closely behind them.

Next year organizers hope to move the date of the walk up so that more might participate and there will be a better chance of good weather.

“October is just too unpredictable,” Garrow said.

Walkers were encouraged, but not required, to gather pledges for the walk. All proceeds go to the fund for the Diabetes Centre of Excellence. The facility, which Terrance said is expected to cost approximately $1 million, will cater to the needs of diabetes patients with exercise equipment and other resources. The building will also have a kitchen where classes can be held to teach healthy cooking.

The centre will be built on property donated to the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe by the late Margaret Terrance. It was Terrance’s wish that a wellness centre of some type be built on her property.