Despite the dreary and cold weather last May, a record number of participants turned out for the Hike It or Bike It event.
The group that originally got the Mama Marla event going joined together for a photo at last year’s event. They are: Russ Olson, Thom Muellner, Marla Schnell and Andy Otremba. The men were training for Grandma’s Marathon and Marla had initially thought this would be a fun way for them to train.
Despite the dreary and cold weather last May, a record number of participants turned out for the Hike It or Bike It event.
Mama Marla's—rejuvenated
by Karin L. Nauber
A lot of people loved Mama Marla’s Annual Hike It or Bike It event—the people who participated and the families who benefited from the money raised. Even casual bystanders appeared to love the idea of Mama Marla’s event, so when it ended last year, a lot of people were saddened by its passing.
One core group of people, including several from Todd County Health and Human Services, decided they didn’t want the event and the fundraising to end, either.
After Marla Schnell, the founder of Mama Marla’s fundraising event, announced that it would be discontinued, she waited through the summer in the hope that someone would step forward to keep the event going.
“I wanted the word out that this [2017’s event] was going to be the last year, but others had other ideas—so it’s rejuvenated,” said Marla.
She said that she had people ask about what it all entailed, but when she started to lay out the behind the scenes work that made the event possible, many shied away.
“Awhile back, a core group of friends and several people I didn’t know came to me and asked what had to be done to keep it going,” she said.
“It wasn’t that I didn’t want to do it, but my family and I had been doing most of it and we needed help. It’s a lot of work for just us to do,” said Marla.
“I know I had said that I was not going to do it anymore, but with this group, I feel like we could do this again,” she added.
Many at the county didn’t want to see it end because they are able to help their clients with gifts for their client’s children at Christmas time...