Volunteers power Wellness Weekend
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Along with the hundreds that participate in the events Saturday and Sunday at the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine, there are hundreds of others who can be seen throughout the event sites, donating their time and energy to helping make the weekend a signature event of the Ohio Valley.
Volunteers on both days fuel the success of the Wellness Weekend, generously giving hour after hour to keep the event rolling. Whether they're passing out water to runners, helping hand out medals at the finish or one of countless other tasks, their contributions are crucial to the weekend's outcome.
"There aren't enough words to describe how important the volunteers have been and continue to be for the Ogden Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine," said Perry Nardo, general manager of The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register. "Their help is the lifeblood of this event. It's another shining example of the kindness and spirit of community found in the people of the Ohio Valley."
Runners and walkers in the both the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic and the Twin Pops 5K Run/Walk for Health presented by Ziegenfelder see many of those volunteers first hand. As they traverse their respective courses, those volunteers are stationed throughout, passing out water and well wishes.
Those groups include Wheeling Middle School, Triadelphia Middle School, Bridge Street Middle School, St. Michael Parish School, Wheeling Country Day School, Grow Ohio Valley, Main Street Bank, Ohio County 4-H and the Children's Home of Wheeling.
Luke Hladek, associate head of school at Wheeling Country Day, has been a fan of the half marathon since childhood, when he would cheer on runners as they passed his house. Now, he's more than happy to be part of the WCDS group that helps along National Road near the Hampton Inn.
"It's just a fun day," he said. "I think it has potential to be a real day in the town, like a Boston Marathon-style day. So I just like being a part of it. I think it's a great thing that it's put on and I'm proud to help with."
Employees at The Ziegenfelder Co. volunteer their time around the finish line on Saturday and this year, Miss West Virginia Volunteer 2023 Emma Griffith will lend a hand, helping pass out medals and any other task that needs done.
On Sunday, a fleet of community groups join the fun to help during the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan. Those groups include YWCA Wheeling, the Boy Scouts, WVU Medicine and students from the B.M. Spurr School of Practical Nursing, retired nurses from Ohio Valley Medical Center and Ohio Valley General Hospital, the Wheeling Lions Club, The Health Plan, West Virginia Northern Community College and the Marine Corps League.
"The volunteer support that we have from the different community groups is just fantastic," said Eric Anderson, publisher of the Tyler Star News, Wetzel Chronicle and Green Tab. "Their assistance makes a difference. We'll have over 100 volunteers providing water and helping guide participants through the Tough As Nails course."
For Amanda Kennen, a recovery coach and house technician at YWCA Wheeling who heads up the YWCA's Tough As Nails volunteer team, helping with that event has special meaning for her. As she was going through the YWCA program, the Tough As Nails was her first volunteer opportunity. She felt it was "empowering" and wants the other women she counsels to get that same feeling.
The obstacles the urban warriors tackle during the Tough As Nails are kind of like the obstacles people face every day, she said.
"They might be different obstacles in life, but they're obstacles," she said. "If they can get through crawling through the mud, climbing the ropes, getting down and getting dirty, we can do the same and come out on the better side.