Team Dadventure Walks for Hunger: The Commons, Boston, MA

The Walk for Hunger

The Commons

Boston, MA

Back in the day, before I was a principal, and even a teacher, I was a professional activist.  I worked on dozens of campaigns for Clean Water, Safe Toys and Fighting Hunger with the PIRGs on college campuses from Mass to Colorado, Washington to Oregon.  It was a chance to put my ideals to work and see the country.  It led to many adventures, including one nighttime escapade involving a banner, a highway overpass and a snowplow driver in Fort Collins, CO with my good buddy Brian, now the director of the North Carolina Conservation Network.  'Nuf said.  This year, we decided to get the boys involved.  No nighttime escapades necessary, we decided just to walk.

The recent cuts in school budgets everywhere have really concerned Kam and I.  Some teachers have spent a lifetime building careers, but even former educators may go to bed hungry this year.  Project Bread estimates that over 550,000 Massachusetts families are affected.  This wonderful organization has been the sponsor of the walk since 1969, with over 44,000 taking part last year.  We decided it was time to jump on.  We thought 20 miles might be a bit steep, despite the long legs and endurance of my amibitious four year old.  We decided to skip the first sixteen and hop on at Magazine Beach in Cambridge.  We slowly made our way past the crew regattas, over the Charles and up a beautifully lined Comm. Ave against the flow of the thousands.  It was inspiring.  

After the finish we couldn't pass up an opportunity to soak in the Commons. The tulips were out, the birds aflutter and the mallards with newbies.  It was straight out of our fav "Make Way for Ducklings" by the best New England author ever, Robert McCloskey.  We met a good friend for brunch (no bagel stores on the walk route, so she came through).  Then of course, we had to hop on the swan boats.  Our driver was a second generation employee and regaled us with tales of his dad cutting off his pants to make shorts on a 90 degree day against swan boat policy.  It was a perfect ending to a wonderful family event.  Please make sure to sponsor our walk  by clicking here and help out those less fortunate.  Maybe next year you can join Team Dadventure in making a difference with us.