Who are the Walksters?

Our team is based on two simple ideas: suicide bad, walking good. Taken together, this means our plan is to complete the walk, then optionally walk until we reach 24 hours of continuous walking!

Joining our team doesn't obligate you to anything. For all we know, some Walksters will skip the walk entirely. Others will finish the normal walk. (Hurray!) And still others will walk longer.

Top 100 reasons to join the Walksters

1. We have an artisanal name, hand-crafted and unique. Other teams will use a computer to generate names like Reptile Bandits or American Predators. Have fun walking with those guys.

2. If we have two or more members, we will have a WALKSTERS-ONLY ICE CREAM PARTY immediately before or after the walk, or before and after the walk.

3. Don't you want to play for the Kansas City Chiefs of charity walking? Who knows, our charity walking success might attract you your own adoring Taylor Swift-equivalent.

4. Our team has a long-handled tin shoe horn so that you can ensure a proper shoe fit on walk day.

5. Our team currently (2024-02-24) has a collective 25 miles of walking experience.

6. We maybe would have been endorsed by the Mat-Su College Sonic the Hedgehog club.

7. If you print a Walksters shirt for personal use, we will not sue you for trademark infringement. Do other teams make such generous promises? (No, they do not.)

8. Our mascot is an actual tiger. (Disclaimer: "mascot" means website logo image.)

9. We have a team theme song: Queen - Keep Yourself Alive.

10. Our team alone explicitly encourages the use of roller skate shoes.

11. Every member will receive one public domain image of a The Outbursts of Everett True comic.

12. We provide fragrance-free, baby-safe SPF 90 sunscreen to all Walksters (disclaimer: only during walking event).

13. Our team captain will send out periodic reminders to hydrate (disclaimer: only during the walking event; mobile messaging rates will apply).

14. Our team has the strictest policy against offline cyberbullying.

15. All members after the first will be promoted to rank of co-captain.

16. Joining an esteemed walking team such as the Walksters will impress prospective employers.

17. Walking in an organized fashion builds character.

18. Joining the Walksters will reduce the amount of communications you receive encouraging you to join the Walksters.

19. We will potentially give you a ride to the walk site, as necessary.

20. The Walkers are not a clique.

21. We are the minor league affiliate of the Altoona Prancers, Central Pennsylvania's third-best charity walking team.

22. Jaclyn is already on our team.

23. Amber is on our team!

24. You can page our captain at any time and he will respond with walking tips.

25. Other teams try to raise paltry sums like $1,200 dollars. We aim higher!

26. We are endorsed by the Jeff Shumway Dino Paleontology Sleepaway Camp for Adults.

27. Justice is on our team!

28. We are the only team with a COMMAND CENTER that coordinates our team's ambulation.

29. We have an official team quote: "Don't walk behind me, I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." - Albert Camus

30. We actually edited our team homepage.

31. All team members are currently free of rabies.

32. Elaine is on our team!

33. Audrey is on our team!

34. We have another team theme song: Doc Watson - Walking Boss.

35. Amber is on our team! She leads the Amblers wing of our walking squadron.

36. We are the only team that has a public stance AGAINST palm oil.

37. Ryan is on our team!

38. Gwen is on our team!

39. We will have an actual live tiger mascot (maybe two, depending on shipping times) parading about during the walk (note: not a Panthera tigris).

40. Walking with the Walksters offers numerous health benefits!

41. Marceline is on our team!

42. We will be the only team walking with "THE BEST DOG IN ALASKA"!

43. One of our members has gone through LivingWorks ASIST training! We're serious about this stuff.

44. Sasha is on our team!

45. Our captain's sun hat has an ultra-mega-wide brim that will cast a protective shadow over all Walksters.

46. Walksters will not have to carry any extra belongings thanks to our captain's functional and stylish backpack.

47. Allison is on our team!

48. The Walksters are definitely NOT a cult.

49. Per the CDC, Alaska had the 3rd highest suicide rate in the nation in 2021 [1]. Joining the Walksters supports a cause that hits close to home!

50. Our team includes the world's foremost coach of doubles spinning, which maybe sorta translates to walking.

51. We are the only team working on an exclusive merch deal with Tesoro.

52. Our team will have first aid supplies on hand in case of walking-related injuries, including but not limited to blisters, scrapes, minor sprains, and rabid dog bites*.

53. The Walksters will make umbrellas available for team members to use in the event of rain. We won't let a little precipitation stand in the way of pedestrian greatness.

54. We accept walkers of all ability levels, no experience necessary.

55. The Walksters do not discriminate based on age, sex, race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability status, religion, income, socioeconomic status, immigration status, political affiliation or education level.

56. The Walksters also do not discriminate on the basis of dietary preferences.

57. The Walksters do not discriminate on the basis of pet ownership.

58. The Walksters do not discriminate based on whether you put your cart in the cart corral at the grocery store (but they will silently judge you if you don't).

59. We are a multi-species team, non-human life forms are welcome to join^†!

60. The Walksters DO discriminate against birds (though not bird owners, see number 57) and promise to provide a bird-free walking experience^‡.

61. We know that one of the best songs about depression is 10,000 Maniacs - Like the Weather.

62. Micah is on our team!

63. We are the only team that provides you with a forecast for Saturday, May 4th: cloudy and 46 Fahrenheit (8 Celsius).

64. Our captain has a perfect 10 A1C level.

65. Our captain can advise you in great detail on anti-chafing powders.

66. Our captain will wear an authentic early 1990s outfit on the day of the walk!

67. You are welcome to conduct any citizen science you want while on the walk, however foolhardy it may be (e.g., a frog census).

68. Our team does not tolerate showboating! There will be no strutting, power-walking, jive walking, or elephant walking.

69. We did not make a joke with this entry. We are mature and wholesome (and/or prudish). Please join our team.

70. Our team promises you will not get malaria from this walk.

71. When they're not walking, many team members use their advanced puzzle-building skills in the college library. They have built over seven puzzles in the last three years!

72. If you have foot pain during the walk, we will share our boutique corn pads with you.

73. We are possibly the only team that will have multiple amputees participating (even if it contradicts point 60).

74. If Ryan shows up, we can probably get him to do the walk with 40 pounds of rice and a 35 pound kettlebell in his backpack. Come watch the origin story of the future World's Strongest Man!

75. We have a marching theme song: Dernière Volonté - En avant!

76. We like this song with "Marsch" (March) in the title: Sturmpercht - Der Marsch der Wampelerreiter

77. If you become injured during the walk, you can have some of our captain's blood. It has been graded A positive (A+) by his doctor. It is the best blood you can get!

78. We have an IRC channel (##walksters on irc.libera.chat:6697). Join using your favorite IRC client or by using the Web chat client (put ##walksters as your channel).

79. If you help us be very successful, we might get featured on Winkypedia.

80. We are the team with the most diversity.

81. We are the only team with 3 different species.

82. Our team has the most vegans per team.

83. We have advanced equipment such as- bubble backpack, bucket backpack, and 3 in 1 cooler, chair, backpack.

84. We are the only team with a team table!

85. Our team has lots of team snacks!

86. We are the only team with cake pops available.

87. Our team has a professional apple dehydrator on staff.

88. Our teams professional apple dehydrator is so dedicated that she went to the ER while endeavoring to dehydrate apples.

89. Our team is the only team with smoothies on deck

90. Our team has two members who can fly under their own power!

91. Our team has the President on it! (President of MSC SGC, don't shake your head.)

92. Our team has the Vice President on it (see above).

93. Our team has a Senator on it (see 91).

94. Our team has journalists on it.

95. Our team has an editor of a newspaper.

96. Our team is the only one with 100 reasons to join!

97. No other team has so many footnotes on their page!

98. We were the only team to have a tailgate party after the event.

99. Our lad Justice managed two laps!

100. The Walksters endorse living... AND SO CAN YOU!

How can I join the Walksters?

Anyone is welcome to walk with our team - just click the "join our team" button above. 

How can I donate to the Walksters (or the walk)?

Please help us reach our fundraising goal by donating to a team member. To donate online, please select "Roster" and then choose one of the team members listed. Once you're on their page, click "Donate Now." 

Want to donate to the entire team?

• If you want to donate online please click the "donate" button on this page.
• If you would like to donate by check, please download the offline donation form HERE and mail it with the check. Just write the team name in the first name field.

All donations are 100% tax deductible and will help bring AFSP one step closer to achieving their bold goal to reduce the suicide rate 20% by 2025.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/suicide-mortality/suicide.htm

* ^{Animal bites may require additional medical treatment.}

^{† Participation limited to creatures that walk, not including fish, snakes, bats, mermaids, etc.}

^{‡ The Walksters may not be held responsible for any wild birds members may encounter during the walk.}