The Greater Evansville Runners/Walkers Club is a non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote competitive and recreational running, race walking, and walking. With this argument piece I hope to share some knowledge about this club that is not represented just in the letters G-E-R-W-C, but also introduce the opposing side to running and walking as an exercise. Some complaints about this particular club, that I gathered during ‘Sphere Week’ were: who were the ‘type of people that joined’ and wanting the family to join, the lack of having time, feeling as if will not be fast enough, and not knowing if the location of club or if it was to far away from their home.
Most people in the general population of USI College Campus have never heard of the GERWC, or what they promote. I learned this as I was doing my public activist piece; it is possibly just not advertised enough. Others would say the population of College Students is not interested in Clubs off campus, or anything that involves that much effort. I beg to differ; first of all this club is not just for students. There is no age limit or requirement, the faculty/staff is also welcome join. I had more professors with knowledge of this club than students. The people who join this club can be from anyone around the southwest Indiana Tri-State area. There is a fee 10 dollars per person but if a family wants to join it is only a total of 15 dollars for the whole family, which pays for a whole year.
Just like adults have trophies and awards so will the children of the family. Awards go to all ages; the age groups are very diverse especially compared to other runner clubs. The Greater Evansville Runners/Walkers club has a ‘kid friendly’ approach, when most other clubs say 15 and under, the GERWC says 10 and under. Hypothetically speaking; Image your eight year old is doing a 5k (3 miles) run and he doesn’t get a trophy because a 14 year old beat them. That is just not fair! So the GERWC decided to accommodate the teenage generation, without impending on the other younger age groups.
Not only are children’s talents of running being taken vantage of in other clubs (trophy wise), but also the adults are being taken advantage of. The Greater Evansville Runners/Walkers Club also gives benefits solely because of being a member. Some benefits include: free Training runs, entry into the GERWC Grand Prix, discounts at businesses such as Gilles Cycling & Fitness and Swift Athletics, discounted entry fee at GERWC sponsored races, and opportunities to get to know more Evansville area runners and walkers.
The training runs help boost confidence in either the walker or runner you are; they help with speed work and/or just timed walks and runs. Other reasons why people choose to run or walk as their exercise: it helps with self-confidence, weight loss, to relieve stress, improve physical appearance, improve athletic performance, and improve heart health, and lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure.
As for the last objection about the GERWC, the club being centered in a place to far for a member to drive everyday; the department does send out news letters to keep the club members up to date. Now if the member would want to run everyday with the group but can not seem to make it on time; the club has generously set up maps in other locations around the southwest Indiana Tri-state area, that are marked so everyone can still train. The maps are located on the Greater Evansville Runners/Walkers Club website,
Not all the Races are held in Evansville, even though the most current one was on the 28th of April, 2009; which happened to be located in Evansville. Currently there are a few others the GERWC is help sponsoring:
‘Solarbron 10K’-May 9, Evansville’s Westside, IN;
‘National Honor Society 5K’-May 9, Petersburg, IN;
‘Coach Kid’s Friendship 5K Run/Walk’-May 16, Frankfort, IN;
‘Hadi Shriners 2009 Run for the Children’-May 17, Downtown Evansville, IN;
‘Run for the Roses Run/Walk’-May 23, Morgonfield, KY; and
‘Rollin River 5K Run/Walk’-May 30, Henderson, KY.
The club also is glad to receive donations; the present project is a chip timing system. They would use this to help out the ‘Race for the Cure’ group; to keep more organized, with each competitor’s time and award.
As for the current goal that this club is to reach out and to have all generations involved within the community. Uniting all the runners and walkers of the southwest Indiana Tri-state area, no matter the age or the types of ability that person has as a athlete. For all those complaints about the GERWC we have answers, and solutions that try to accommodate everyone. With all this information I have displayed for you. Have I got you interested? Would you consider looking into the Greater Evansville Runners/Walkers Club as a future club you would like to join?
