Would you stoop to pick up one penny?
There’s a group of a dozen or so Nakusp walking women who answer yes to that question in a heartbeat – and they make every penny count.
Assembled Wednesday morning for a post-walk coffee as they do three times a week, the women talked to the Arrow Lakes News about a passion for sweating the small stuff – and how the pennies add up for the charities of their choice.
And they do work up a sweat. Walking four kilometers each time, three times a week, with anywhere from six to 12 women walking, over the course of six years they have walked almost a half-million women-kilometers between them.
A motley group that includes women who winter in places like Britain, Calgary and Vancouver Island as well as year-round locals, the walkers haven’t quite agreed on a name for their group – suggested monikers include The Walking Ladies, WWW – Women Who Walk and The Walkers.
However, they are all in accord on the important things – like what to do when they spy a $5 bill or even a penny lying on the ground.
Step on it and claim it for the Found Money Pot.
“The kids throw them down and we pick ‘em up,” said Judy Hatt.
The Found Money Pot has enpursed nickels and dimes found in Hawaii, at Niagara Falls, in Arizona and on Vancouver Island.
When they heard the library needed to raise $1,000 for a student to help out, the group voted unanimously to donate their found money for the year to the cause.
“My husband and I were walking (and saw a $20 bill.) I said, ‘Oh, road money!’ and he said, ‘Are you nuts?’” Karen Hamling recalled with a chuckle.
And if the amounts they find vary year to year, the group’s not fully agreed on the economic implications of such an informal survey.
Lucre isn’t the only reason the women walk.
“I do this for the exercise and the company of all these ladies,” said Irene Sloan.
“I needed the exercise,” recalled Dawna Dinning.
“I knew no one in town – it’s a great way to meet people,” said Judy Hatt.
Retiree Sue McLean recalled watching the women walk by her place of work when she was still in the workforce full-time. She remembered feeling wistful about the fun they appeared to be having.
“Here I had to go to work at 8:30 a.m., and all these years these women would go walking by, and they’d be laughing and they’d look so happy, and I’d wish I could do that. Now I’m doing that,” McLean said.
“The waterfront is the big part –“ she said.
“It’s pretty and we know there’s going to be coffee soon,” finished Hamling, who in addition to being a walking group member is also the village mayor.
The group accepts donations for their charity found money pot.