By Marianne Christy
The 4th Annual Freedom March of the Adirondacks will be held on Sunday, June 28.
The event includes a 13-mile walk from Inlet’s Fern Park to Van Auken’s Inne in Thendara and a 5K walk/run which will begin from Van Auken’s.
Proceeds of the march will benefit Old Forge American Legion Post 893’s Wounded Warrior Project, The Compassionate Community, and other area charities and organizations.
The local Wounded Warrior Project brings five Fort Drum soldiers and their families to the area each June to enjoy a complimentary fun-filled weekend of golf, train rides, boat tours, a visit to Enchanted Forest Water Safari and more.
The Compassionate Community is a company started in January 2015 by Kelsey Simpson, a 2014 Town of Webb School graduate.
Simpson designs and produces handmade pet beds to raise money for local shelters, animal rescues and other programs in the Utica area.
A clothing drive will also be held in conjunction with this year’s event.
Participants and the public are invited to drop a bag of good, clean clothing off the day of the march.
Donors will receive a raffle ticket for door prize drawings.
The event is again being organized by co-founder Patrick Venetz, Jr. of Thendara, a recent graduate of Norwich University.
Registration fee is $25 and currently available at: thefreedommarch.org.
Pledge sheets can also be downloaded from the site. You can also pick up forms at Van Auken’s Inne, from Venetz, or use the application form in this week’s paper.
Registration for the 13-mile and 5K walks will also be available the day of the event at Van Auken’s.
The fee includes an event t-shirt.Venetz welcomes any volunteers who would like to assist with the march.
For more information, he can be contacted at: patrick@thefreedommarch.org.