New partnerships, new Ten Toe walkers and exciting new walks all added adventure to the Spring 2015 CMT Ten Toe Express session. A new partnership with AARP St. Louis helped expand the reach of the CMT program locally including the addition of the Saturday morning CMT Ten Toe AARP Breakfast Bunch. In addition, expanded work with Beyond Housing in the City of Pagedale helped to increase exposure to the program.
The spring session had 436 registrants, a 58 percent increase over the previous session last Fall. Twenty-five percent were IL residents with remaining registrants residing in MO.
According Daralynn, a new Ten Toe Walker, “I have simply enjoyed my Ten Toe Express experience with your group! While I was relatively active previously, Ten Toe Express has helped me to enhance/amp up my workout routine—not to mention provided me the opportunity to learn more about my city, as well as its various offerings. I have met and made new friends with whom I look forward to socializing at each Ten Toe Express event. My motivation and energy levels have increased.”
The CMT Ten Toe Express program started in 2007, and has been very popular especially among older adult participants. The Spring session included 7 different walking groups led by trained CMT Ten Toe Walk Leaders each leading a walk once a week from their respective MetroLink Stations. In addition, CMT hosted several special walks with guest walk leaders to different destinations including a tour of 6 North, the first completely universal designed housing development in St. Louis; a Casino tour via MetroLink; and the Missouri Botanical Garden’s with special guest walk leader, Jean Ponzi, host of KDHX’s Earthworms. The spring session provided the opportunity for participants to use their own ten toes, MetroLink and MetroBus to access more than 70 exciting walks in the region.
CMT Ten Toe participants continue to tout the benefits of the program, including education on the transit system, health benefits, social benefits and much more.
“The Saturday morning AARP/CMT Brunch and Ten Toe Walks were not only great ideas but a precious health blessing that has benefited me in an immense way. I’ve lost over 20 pounds and I can attribute a reduction in my diabetic, cholesterol, and high blood pressure medications to the programs, as well as a continued desire to just get up and move. This program combination has helped me meet new people, visit new locations using the Metrolink/Metro Transit system, literally walk and learn about the city I’ve lived in for over 67 years, and select and eat healthy meals at restaurants I’ve never dined at before. It has been an awesome and fun filled experience, to put it mildly, and one I will never forget,” said Imogene Griffin.
“The CMT Ten Toe Express Program would not be possible without the help of our volunteer walk leaders. They truly are the reason this program continues to be such a success. Their time and talents are priceless to CMT. We can not thank them enough for building such a following in St. Louis,” said CMT Executive Director Kim Cella.
The next CMT Ten Toe Express session will kick-off on September 1. CMT is looking for new walk leaders. If interested, please email info@cmt-stl.org or call 314.231.7272. Registration for the Fall session will open in August.