Hundreds of Charlotte area residents enjoyed exploring the FreeMoreWest business district, surrounding neighborhoods, and greenway as they participated in our fourth annual #WalkCLT powered by OrthoCarolina!

Our new "WALK Selfie Station" was a big hit!

This fun, family-friendly event invited residents and visitors to walk rather than drive to destinations in their area by taking a map-guided twilight stroll. Following check-in at Recover Brands, participants explored special activities and deals at nearby destinations including Enderly Coffee, Rhino Market & Deli, The Burger Co., Crossfit QC, Picante Mexican Grill, Centered Wellness & Yoga for Life, Wallace Pruitt Recreation Center, Blue Blaze Brewing, and KeenDog Training.

The Way2GoCLT Clean Commute Challenge was our kick-off activity at the start of the route. This collaboration between CATS, Mecklenburg County Air Quality, and Sustain Charlotte is an annual challenge for Charlotte area residents to replace some (or all!) of their drive-alone vehicle trips with more sustainable transportation choices: walking, bicycling, public transit, carpooling, or working remotely. June 1 was the first day of the challenge, but everyone is welcome to join and log trips for a chance to win cool prizes!

Our event sponsor OrthoCarolina hosted 15-minute Pilates classes at the trailhead of the Stewart Creek Greenway. Southminster introduced participants to their Cycling Without Age initiative, which is a really cool project that pairs up volunteer cyclists with older adults who want to enjoy the outdoors. 

#WalkCLT neighborhood explorers of all ages enjoyed a healthy walk and lots of fun stops!

Despite the heat, everyone remained in high spirits. Dogs, babies, children of all ages, and even whole families on bicycles joined the event!

The event concluded with an after-party at Town Brewing, featuring a raffle for a variety of awesome prizes donated by our activity hosts. 

Transportation is the largest single source of air pollution in the United States. Short trips (less than 3 miles) contribute disproportionately more to air pollution because of cold engine starts. By introducing people to the ease of walking instead of driving to nearby destinations for dinner, shopping, or recreation, #WalkCLT supports sustainable choices that will keep Charlotte's air healthier for everyone. 

#WalkCLT not only introduced people to a more sustainable way of traveling in an area they may not have explored before on foot. It also offered an opportunity to enjoy a fun activity with family and friends while getting exercise! 

Many of the event participants had never been on this part of the Stewart Creek Greenway!

In a follow-up survey, dozens of #WalkCLT participants shared what they enjoyed most:

"We enjoyed the variety of stops. My wife liked the iced coffee and shirts at check-in. We were treated well by all those that we came in contact with. "

"I enjoyed the restaurants most. It helped to understand the types of restaurant offerings in the area and gave an idea of services so I could return at another time to eat at the establishments."

"I loved the variety of destinations and activities."

Huge thanks to our many amazing volunteers who welcomed guests at check-in and along the route!

And three cheers for Livable Meck for organizing the Mecklenburg County employee participants! 

We especially want to thank Recover Brands for hosting our check-in location and designing an amazing event t-shirt, and Town Brewing for hosting a fun after-party celebration.  #WalkCLT is powered by OrthoCarolina. Thank you all for an amazing 2019 event.