Do you know a group of people who would want to make a statement in support of marriage equality and have fun deepening friendships and building community at the same time? “The Love for All March for Marriage Equality” provides an opportunity for teams of walkers to rally public opinion in favor of a marriage equality bill being presented in Olympia next February.
The march itself will stretch over a hundred miles from Vancouver to Olympia but don’t let that distance deter you from participating. We will conquer this distance by covering it with teams of walkers of all abilities. The way it will work is this: Each team will commit to walking at least one of the seven days required to make this march. While the team as a whole will seek to cover all of the miles designated for their day of walking, individual participants can walk as much or as little as they want. What matters is not how far any single person walks but rather the statement we make as a people united behind a cause. We value everyone’s participation in making this statement.
Read more about the march…Then organize and register a team!
Sponsors: A Coalition of Faith Communities in Southwest Washington along with Equal Rights Washington, the Community of Welcoming Congregations, the Religious Coalition for Equality, and the Faith Action Network.
Dates: February 9-15, 2012
March Route: From Vancouver to the front steps of the state Capitol in Olympia.
Daily Plan:
Over the course of seven days, teams of walkers will walk from Vancouver to Olympia during the daylight hours of 8 am to 4 pm. The walkers will walk between 13 and 18 miles a day depending upon the day they are walking. Each day of the march will correspond to a pre-determined route that will have a definite beginning point and end point. Here is a rough approximation of the march:
Thursday, February 9th: From Vancouver to La Center—16 miles
Friday, February 10th: From La Center to Kalama—17 miles
Saturday, February 11th: From Kalama to Longview—13 miles
Sunday, February 12th: From Longview to Vader—17 miles
Monday, February 13th: From Vader to Napavine—18 miles
Tuesday, February 14th: From Napavine to Grand Mound—18miles
Wednesday, Feburary 15th: From Grand Mound to Olympia—17 miles
Details for Teams to Be Aware of:
1) A team can select the day it wants to walk. Just make it known on the registration form.
2) A team can have as many or as few walkers as it wants.
3) Not all of a team’s walkers need to walk at once. A team can plan amongst itself who will walk when and for how long over the course of the day.
4) Each team is responsible for its own transportation and vehicle accompaniment. This means that each team will need to transport itself to the starting point and from the ending point. It also means that if a team wants a vehicle to accompany it and provide a place to sit, recover, and relax during the walk, then it will need to provide its team with that vehicle. If a team can acquire an RV for transportation, that is recommended due to the lack of restrooms along certain portions of the walk.
5) Whenever a walker is walking, that walker must wear a reflective vest. Teams will be responsible for providing their walkers with vests.
6) Teams are encouraged to decorate their vehicles. An award will be given to the team with best decorated vehicle.
7) Teams that want to walk less than one full day will be accepted.
8) Teams can walk more than one day. Awards will be given to any individuals or teams who walk the entire march.
9) Teams that want to walk more than one day will not be provided overnight accommodations along the route of the march by march organizers. Unless walkers arrange their own accommodations, it is expected that walkers will return home at the end of the day and then return the next morning.
10) Teams will be responsible for bringing their own food to eat during the march. March organizers will provide a van with water for marchers. March organizers will also provide a van with first aid supplies and a medical professional.
11) Registration costs $25 per team. The money will go toward financing the water, the first aid van, and any other necessary expenses. Any additional money will go to the sponsoring organizations of the march: Equal Rights Washington, the Community of Welcoming Congregations, and the Religious Coalition for Equality.
12) March organizers will work with the sponsoring organizations to bring publicity and media attention to the march. The stories of march participants will be highlighted in outreach to the media.
13) The march will end with a rally and celebration in Olympia on February 15th. All participants from any day of the march are encouraged to come and bring their friends as well. More details to follow.
Events:
At the end of each day, march organizers will seek to organize an event in the community in which marchers have arrived. Potential events include town halls and community service projects. Information about these events will be made available at a later date.
Registration Deadline: January 31, 2012
Questions:
If you have questions, please let us know at MarriageMarch@gmail.com or (360) 693-1476.