New partnership will give more than 300,000 St. Louis area AARP members access to the benefits of the unique walk program for active older adults
Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is pleased to announce it is teaming up with AARP to help further promote transit and walking through its successful Ten Toe Express Walk Program. As part of a new partnership between the organizations, AARP members from across the St. Louis area, as well as any other interested individual from throughout the region, will get to experience first-hand just how easy it is to integrate walking with public transit use to get around town, while also enjoying the many health and wellness benefits of doing so. Registration for the spring session of the Ten Toe Express Walk Program is now open and can be completed online at www.cmt-stl.org or at one of the upcoming registration events.
Those who register for the program gain access to walk maps providing detailed directives on how to utilize transit to get to many of the region’s cultural and entertainment hot spots, as well as a host of other helpful resources. Ten Toe participants also have ability to take part in weekly guided Ten Toe Express Walking Tours led by trained volunteer walk leaders, which allow walkers to be part of a group as they become familiar with the transit system and how to utilize it to get to destinations.
Those taking part in the spring session will also have the opportunity to take advantage of a newly created Saturday morning walking group, dubbed the AARP St. Louis Breakfast Bunch. This new group will meet at the Shrewsbury MetroLink station on select Saturday mornings and take the train to breakfast destinations around the region. The cost of breakfast will be the responsibility of each walker.
“Offering programs that link healthy living with accessing the community through transit are great ways to introduce our members to the real possibilities available in the region,” said Sheila Holm, AARP St. Louis. “We are particularly excited about the new AARP St. Louis Breakfast Bunch. It’s a great expansion to the program and a great way to get out and explore the city.”
This year’s 12-week Ten Toe Express Walk Program session will kick-off on Thursday, April 2, 2015 with a guided tour of the 6 North Apartments, the first fully universally designed building in the U.S. The apartments are mixed-income, multi-family and managed by McCormack Baron Salazar. The walking group will meet at the Shrewsbury MetroLink station for a brief welcome and introduction, take the train to the Central West End Station and then walk 1.1 miles to the apartments. Weekly walks departing from the Brentwood, Forest Park, Belleville, Rock Road, North Hanley and Shrewsbury MetroLink stations will follow from April through June.
Registration for the session begins on February 2, and the cost to participate is $10 per person. Those interested in participating can register at one of the many spring registration events listed below, or online at www.tentoes.cmt-stl.org.
Ten Toe Express Registration Dates:
Friday, February 27 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Programs and Services for Older Persons (PSOP) Center, located on the campus of Southwestern Illinois College at 201 N Church Street, Belleville, IL 62220
Tuesday, March 3 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
St. Clair County Health Department located at 19 Public Square, Suite 150, Belleville, IL 62220
Wednesday, March 4 from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Citizens for Modern Transit located at 911 Washington Ave, Ste. 200, St. Louis, MO 63101
Friday, March 13 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Dennis & Judith Jones Visitors Center located at 5595 Grand Drive, St. Louis, MO 63112
Thursday, March 19 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Dennis & Judith Jones Visitors Center located at 5595 Grand Drive, St. Louis, MO 63112
Friday, March 27 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Programs and Services for Older Persons (PSOP) Center, located on the campus of Southwestern Illinois College at 201 N Church Street, Belleville, IL 62220
New Ten Toe Express registrants receive a Ten Toe Express Walking Kit that includes a tote bag, a pedometer, a Metro system map, and AARP St. Louis button. Ten Toe Express participants also have access to CMT’s Ten Toe Express section on its website at www.cmt-stl.org, which includes a complete catalog of walk maps available for printing or downloading.
“We’re very proud of the success of the Ten Toe Express program,” commented Kim Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “Since its inception in 2007, CMT has introduced more than 7,600 seniors to the system, and the program continues to grow steadily. We are especially excited this year to have the opportunity to partner with AARP St. Louis and introduce the program to their 300,000+ members in the St. Louis region.”
Register today for Spring 2015!
To learn more about AARP St. Louis visit, www.aarp.org/stlouis.
