Info on Push to Walk for Project Walk 3/4/10

Push to Walk has been holding steady, seeing about 25 clients per week in the metro NY/NJ area. Three trainers work with clients, and most of them benefit from the weight assisted treadmill and elliptical machines as part of their regular workouts.

An upcoming fund raiser is planned for March 27, 2010 to help keep the doors open – Casino Night featuring Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament. It is hoped that 200 people will attend and enjoy a fun filled evening of poker, great prizes and a delicious buffet dinner.

Push to Walk’s Board of Trustees recently met for a Board training session. Two areas of importance were identified – Marketing and Fund Raising. Each member chose which area to focus on and committee work got started immediately.

The Marketing Committee has met several times and is working on revising and updating Push to Walk’s key messaging, tagline and mission statement. A new brochure will be designed, and the website will be updated. The goal of the marketing campaign is to attract new clients and donors.

The Fund Raising Committee’s primary focus right now is on the Poker Tournament, but several ideas were discussed to help Push to Walk raise money in new and creative ways. With client fees unable to support operating expenses, fund raising is a critical component of our program.

Starting in January, Push to Walk became an affiliation site for a local college’s Athletic Training Program. A total of four students from William Paterson University will be working with Push to Walk trainers and clients, learning about the methods we use and how we help people with spinal cord injuries. Our gym was of great interest to the College because we are so unique and different than any other affiliation site they currently offer. We are pleased to be affiliated with William Paterson University and look forward to working with them for a long time.

In December 2009, Push to Walk was notified by the Valley Hospital Foundation that we would be the recipient of a $7500 grant specially to provide for continuing education of our trainers. Two trainers are scheduled to participate in a two day seminar in March, and other education opportunities are being pursued. This grant gives Push to Walk and its trainers the ability to pursue additional education and learning to benefit our clients without taking funds away from program costs.