5th Annual Walking With Purpose – We got this!

In Michigan, autumn usually announces itself with a drop in temperature and a burst of color in the trees. But at CIS of Kalamazoo, we know October has arrived when the walking kicks into high gear—and there’s plenty of it.

At last week’s kick-off at Woodward School, we officially launched our 5th annual Walking With Purpose challenge. We have a goal of raising $40,000 and walking 12,000 miles, collectively as a community. The goal of 12,000 miles is symbolic of the 12,000+ students throughout the schools supported by CIS. Each mile has meaning because each mile honors a student who is taking the steps necessary to walk through the door to a brighter future.

Over 450 participants have signed up to walk on a team or through their own individual efforts. As of this posting, Walking With Purpose has 42 team captains who are currently working on building their team, setting their goals, and creating opportunities for their team to make a difference for students in Kalamazoo.

We’re thrilled to share that our number of school-led teams has grown from just 2 to an amazing 9! It’s inspiring to see so many staff members stepping up to get involved—helping to raise awareness, champion the mission of CIS, and support the incredible work our site coordinators do in schools every single day.

Not involved and want to be? There is still time and several ways to support Kalamazoo students during this month-long challenge. Check out the Walking with Purpose page on the CIS website to find out how you can join in, as a team captain, individual participant, guest walker, or donor to a supporter’s miles.

Due to popular request, we will continue to have our weekly challenges, which are highlighted on our calendar here, and brought back the Cider and Scenery painting event. This year, our presenting sponsor, Consumers Credit Union is hosting our Cider and Scenery at their corporate headquarters on Thursday, October 23^rd. Tickets are available now through this link.

Walking with Purpose is presented by Consumers Credit Union and sponsored by: CWS Financial Advisors, Flowserve, Old National Bank, OnStaff, Walbridge, and Warner Norcross + Judd LLP.

This year, we also reached out to a few businesses to help provide prizes and the food and beverages for our Cider and Scenery. Thank you to: Catherine Nails, Gazelle Sports, Husted’s Farm Market, Martini’s Kzoo, One Well Brewery, and Rose Wellbeing for being in-kind supporters!

Be sure to check in with us throughout the month on our Facebook and Instagram pages for updates and photos. For this year’s kickoff, thank you to the staff at Woodward School for hosting us, and Warner Norcross + Judd LLP for sponsoring the laps! Thank you to everybody who joined last night!