During a walk along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk, Matthew Johnson had an epiphany.
Johnson, who lives in the Halyard Park neighborhood, often walks the riverfront and noticed something perplexing — too few Black people doing the same.
“It is just so beautiful in the morning,” he said. “You see the sun coming up over the trees. The geese flying down the middle of the river. Marquette (University) rowers rowing down the river. I just thought people need to know.”
That’s when the epiphany hit him — start a walk not only to expose people to the Riverwalk but to promote men’s health.
The idea for what has become the annual MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run was born. That was in 2013. A year later, Johnson had his first walk, which now includes a run.
In its eighth edition — it stopped for three years around the COVID-19 pandemic — the event has attracted between 275 and 350 people a year. Johnson said he hopes to reach 1,000 for this year’s event, which is Aug. 24.
There’s one change from Johnson’s original vision. The walk goes along King Drive instead of the river. That’s intentional — rioting after Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination in 1968 led to most of this area being leveled by fire. Johnson wanted to highlight the positive things happening on the street, which has had a surge in Black-owned businesses.
“I wanted to see a thousand people walking down King Drive, peacefully bringing Milwaukee together,” said Johnson, whose production company, Jump 42 Consulting, sponsors the event.
Kicking off the MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run will be Ashanti Hamilton, director of the city Office of Community Wellness and Safety, and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, serving as co-chairs. Also attending are Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman.
Initially, Johnson saw the walk as a way to promote his men’s health magazine. He started the magazine to honor his 85-year-old father, who died of heart failure in 2009. But the event quickly turned into a mission to encourage men to be proactive about their health.
“Men don’t take of themselves,” he said. “Other than violence, (Black men) are dying of heart disease, bad eating habits, lack of exercise and all that contributes to the cancers.”
Black men are 30% more likely to die from heart disease, 60% more likely to die from stroke than non-Hispanic white men and are nine times more likely to die from AIDS, according to the Black Men’s Health Project, a national initiative to develop culturally competent strategies and solutions to improve health outcomes for Black men.
Men, Johnson said, want better control of their health, but don’t know where to start. The event gives them a starting point. Young men may exercise, but they don’t eat properly, he said, and they come off the basketball court drinking soda.
“A lot of men go to work every day to take care of their families, but what do you do for yourself to stay there?” Johnson said. “That’s why men die years younger than women.”
Though the event is targeted to men, it’s open to women, too. Johnson said women play a role in men’s health because “a man looks at himself and how he feels about himself to make the right choices,” he said.
Getting men to become conscientious about their health and wellness is an endless goal for Johnson. Unless people stop dying of these diseases, the work is never done, he said. But the hope is that men, sons, uncles and husbands educate themselves about their health.
“To have a healthier community — that’s the goal.”
Here’s what to know about the MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run:
When is the MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run?
The MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run is from 7:30 a.m. to noon Aug. 24, starting at Fiserv Forum’s Deer District.
How to register for the MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run
Participants can register on the day of the event or through the event’s webpage: https://www.mke5k.com/. The cost is $25 for adults; kids 11 and younger are free.
What’s the route for the MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run?
The walk/run starts at the Deer District on Juneau Avenue, then turns onto King Drive, then up to North Avenue before returning to the Deer District.
What to expect when you go to the MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run
The event will have raffle prizes, including doorbell cameras, three months of unlimited carwashes from Scrub-a-Dub, gift certificates from Dick’s Sporting Goods and swag bags with health information from event sponsors.
Before the run/walk, participants can get an early morning stretch in with a yoga session. A limited amount of free yoga mats will be available. Participants are encouraged to bring their own. A post-stretch will follow the run/walk.
The event includes a basketball skills challenge, where hoop enthusiasts can show off their talent.
In the health pavilion, vendors will have information and health screenings for hypertension, diabetes, prostate and colon cancer, and healthy eating tips.
For a full list of activities and schedule, go to https://www.mke5k.com/program-1.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: MKE5K Men’s Walk/Run aims to improve health, especially for Black men
Source Agencies
