Health Center 3 at 43rd and Chester (across from Clark Park) is inviting friends and neighbors to participate in a Walk-A-Thon this Saturday, June 2, from 9 to 11 a.m. This fundraiser will benefit preventive health programs at HC3. The event also raises awareness about healthy eating and a more active lifestyle through walking. Adults and children of all fitness levels can participate, and even family dogs are welcome.

You can choose one of the two routes – a full lap or a short lap around Clark Park. The full lap around Clark Park B and C is approximately 1/3 mile. The short lap around the “Dog Bowl” in Clark Park B is approximately 1/5 mile.

Registration fee is $5-$20 on a sliding scale at a discretion of each participant and participants experiencing financial hardship can register for free. Non-participants can make a donation. To register or donate, please follow this link. For more information, check out the event’s Facebook page.

West Philly Runners are sponsoring and participating in the annual Cobbs Creek Park race on Saturday, April 21 (see flyer below). This is the official West Philly Runners race, but everyone is invited to join them. This event will also feature a 1 mile walk – a great opportunity for families to get out and explore the park. Click here to register.

Registration fee is $20 and all funds raised from this event will go to benefit kids’ recreational activities in the Cobbs Creek Park. But there’s more to it. Alon Abramson, who organizes West Philly Runners, sent us this information:

“Philly Parks and Rec, the Fairmount Park Conservancy and PA Environmental Council are putting on the ‘Run for the Kids of Cobbs 5K’ race for the 2nd year. The goal of the race is first and foremost to bring people back to the park and encourage some ownership of this shared space. Cobbs Creek sat forgotten and abandoned for years and the city is making a concerted effort to reverse this trend. If you’ve been to the park recently, you will be pleasantly surprised to find it well utilized by the community with picnic areas, and paved and unpaved recreational trails (it is absolutely beautiful). Proceeds from the race go towards outdoor recreational programs for kids in the area. Get people to come to the park and support kids programming…win-win, right?

I am the organizer for West Philly Runners, a local running group, now in our 2nd year. We have been growing alongside this initiative and we have been heavily involved in planning the event from the start. In fact, I created the race website this year (www.cobbscreek5k.com), I am working on promotion and I have been involved in trail work in preparation for the race, which is mostly a trail run. For us, it is THE race of West Philly and thus THE race of the West Philly Runners. I’d love to get the word out to the West Philly community so that runners (and walkers) take advantage of this opportunity to (re)discover this amazing park in our back yards.”

If you have questions about the race or West Philly Runners, you can email Alon at alon.abramson [at] gmail.com

West Philly resident Michael Froehlich and his 2-year-old daughter Zora love playgrounds. No wait, they really love playgrounds.

What began as the occasional bicycle excursion from their home on 48th Street to nearby playgrounds like Malcolm X. Park has turned into a full-on quest to document a bunch of playgrounds in this part of the city – 31 playgrounds in all.

“We went a little overboard,” said Froehlich, a legal aid attorney.

The result, the website zoraplays, is an invaluable guide to playgrounds that includes photos of equipment, sketches of the playground’s layout and a map showing the location. Each playground was within a mile of their home.

Froehlich said he and Zora’s goal is to help convince people that there is fun beyond the usual spots like Clark Park and Cedar Park.

“I hope that this project will show people that there are a lot of great playgrounds in our community so they should get on their bicycles and ride out and explore them,” he said.

The big question, of course, is which is Zora’s fav?

“I’d like to say that Zora has developed a discerning eye for quality playgrounds,” said Froehlich. “But the truth is that she loves all playgrounds. Tall slides, wide slides, single slides, double slides: she digs them all with the same gusto.”

As for Froehlich himself? “Malcolm X. Park,” he said. “There’s so much there.”

 
– Emma Eisenberg contributed to this story

 
University of the Sciences is organizing its 7th annual 5K Race for Humanity on Saturday, March 31. The race begins at 9 a.m. and both runners and walkers are welcome to participate. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Athletic Recreation Center at 43rd and Woodland Avenue.

Proceeds from the race will go to Livengrin Foundation for Addiction Recovery to support their patient programs and services.

Some of the race features:

Free T-shirts
Refreshments
Water stations along course
Medals for Winners
Timing by Athlete’s Closet
Ample parking and restrooms
Free raffle prizes

For more information and to download the registration form, visit this page.

Pre-registration is now open for the Sweet Charity Spin Day workshop, a special 3-hour workshop on dropspindling which will be held at The A-Space on Saturday, March 24, from 12:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.

In this workshop, you can learn how to spin your own yarn, which can be a fun and economical hobby. The workshop is presented by Jessica Suiter, Fiber Specialist at Hearthwise Spindles. Jessica will discuss basic spinning terminology and techniques, giving instruction to the group as a whole and individual instruction as needed. Fiber and spindles will be provided to each attendee for practice, and spindles, fiber and other materials will be available for purchase afterward. Locally-sourced Alpaca fiber from Abenaki Acres Alpaca Farm will be used for spinning, but synthetic fiber will also be available for strict vegans or those with allergies.

Cost of attendance includes a spindle to use during the workshop, fiber to practice with, and refreshments.

– Pay $28 if you pre-register by 2/19
– Pay $32 if you pre-register from 2/20 to 3/23
– $35 at the door

Registration fees can be paid by cash, check, money order or credit card during Sunday meetups, or checks & money orders can be mailed to Jazmin directly. Please email jazmin.idakaar [at] gmail.com with any questions or for the mailing address.

NOTE: All cancellations must be made 72 hours before workshop starts for a full refund. Cancellations less than 72 hours before the workshop will result in a partial refund, and cancellations the day of will result in no refund.

Spindles, Alpaca fiber, natural dyes and books will be available for purchase after the instruction portion of the workshop. Spindles used during the workshop will be available for purchase at a special discounted rate for attendees. All spindles and wood-based products from Hearthwise Spindles are from non-endangered tree species.

Space is limited to 11 spinners, so pre-registration is recommended. And here’s the event’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/events/244294465649148/

Namaste! Yoga studios in the area are holding some new exciting classes and events this and next month to help kick start the new year. Beginners and experienced folks of all ages and genders are welcome and student discounts are available. See the list below.

Dhyana Yoga (3945 Chestnut Street)

Pranayama :: Breathing techniques for yoga & for having more energy – Sat, Jan. 21, 12:30-2 p.m. – Taught by John Vitarelli. If you are ready to incorporate proper breathing into your practice and your life, then this class is for you. John will demystify the secrets of pranayama for you, answer all questions, and provide resources for your continued study. Light asana included, so bring your mat, and a notebook if you like. Contribution is $10 and pre-registration is required by email.

Master practice classes – Tuesdays Jan. 24 &31, Feb. 7 & 21, March 13 & 27, 6-8 p.m. – Taught by Simon Park. Each week a different focus in practice will be explored. Simon’s unique style of teaching inspires practitioners of all levels of experience to expand their perception of what is possible on and off the mat. Contribution: $108 for all six, or drop in per class for $20. To register email: dhyana.staff@gmail.com.

Brock + Krista Cahill return! :: 3 Gravity Cowboy Events – Feb 3 – 6:30-8:30, Feb. 4 & 5 – 12-3 p.m. – The LIFT OFF! event is on Friday, Feb 3: Many points of interest will be crossed, including the grand handstand, oceans of navasana, mountainous arm balancing postures, and rivers of vinyasa. BUOYANCY CONTROL is on Saturday, Feb. 4: Arm balances, inversions, core, core, core…and a little laughter too. The ONE GIANT LEAP event is on Sunday, Feb. 5: This workshop will investigate the jumps, including jump throughs and jump backs, jumps to handstand, jumps into arm balances, jumps into standing poses and more. Contribution: Feb. 3 – $20 by Jan. 27, $25 after; Feb. 4&5 – $35 by Jan. 27, $40 after. To register email: dhyana.staff@gmail.com.

Studio 34 (4522 Baltimore Ave):

Align and Flow – Tuesdays 7 a.m. – This class is a great way to start your day and your yoga practice. It focuses on the basic alignment principles that provide a strong foundation to any pose, then allows you to play and explore within the pose. The class is open to all levels. Contribution: $10 per class. For more information go here.

Hoop Dance Series – begin Feb. 21 – Work your core, pick up new dance moves, and have a blast with this low impact, hugely popular workout. You will not only be able to hula hoop, but will learn all kinds of fun tricks and ways to move. This is a 6-week class series. Contribution: $60 (6-week series) with advanced registration, $70 day of first class. To register go here.

Kids Classes – begin Jan. 23 – Kids are invited to explore breathing exercises, games, poses and relaxation in this fun-filled class. This is an excellent outlet for energy and a positive place to learn and communicate with other children. Runs through February 27. Drop-ins are welcome. Contribution: $55 with pre-registration, $60 at first class. To register go here.

Tai Chi Series – Wednesdays 7:30 p.m. – This class introduces the student to the “internal” martial art. Both a physical exercise and a moving meditation, it provides benefits to heart, joints, muscle and mind. Contribution: $10 per class. For more information go here.

University City Arts League (4226 Spruce Street)

Iynegar-Based Yoga 1 –  Wednesdays 8-9:30 p.m. –  Develop strength, flexibility & balance. Learn to work more intelligently with your body. Iyengar approach emphasizes correct body alignment with lots of hands-on, individual attention. Concentration is on standing postures, with some work in seated postures, breathing & inverted postures. All ages & fitness levels welcome.

Iynegar-Based Yoga 2 – Wednesdays 6:30-8 p.m. – Level II is for continuing students & people with prior yoga experience.

Both classes are taught by Pat Albright. For more information and to register go here or call 215-382-7811.

Wake Up Yoga (4916 Baltimore Ave):

Once-a-month Women’s Wellness class –  Saturday, Feb. 11, 8:00-9:30 p.m. –  Taught by Biz Magarity. The class is comprised of active and restorative yoga asana designed to support women’s health. This class is designed for women who experience pelvic and lower abdominal issues, such as chronic pain and infertility. Next class is on Contribution: $14 drop in/$10 student rate or one class on your Wake Up Yoga class card. For more information please visit this page.

Eight-week Brand New Beginners series  – begins Thursday, Jan. 19, 7:45-9:15 p.m. – Taught by Monica Kriso. Contribution is $108 and pre-registration is required. Please call the studio at 215-235-1228 or register online.