Chilly day doesn't cool enthusiasm for eighth annual Walk-a-thon

CORNWALL — It was 45 degrees at noon on Friday, and the sky was thick with low, foreboding clouds. But the grayness of the afternoon was shattered by the exuberant energy  of three busloads of Cornwall Consolidated School children, who tumbled out of their bright yellow transports, wearing lime green T-shirts designed by artist/illustrator Valorie Fisher.

This was the eighth annual Walk-a-thon, and funds collected this year will benefit the Haitian Health Foundation and the International Bird Rescue Research Center. Each year, the students vote on where they would like the money to go; half the funds go into classroom accounts to help pay for things such as the eighth-grade class trip. In the past seven years, $21,924 has been raised.

The children for the most part seemed oblivious to the cold. Hey,at least it wasn’t raining, like it was last week when the Walk-a-thon was originally scheduled to take place.

First Selectman Gordon Ridgway was on hand, bundled up in a fleece jacket. He tried to talk his two children into adding extra layers to their T-shirts. They weren’t buying it.

“It’s snowing at our house,� Ridgway said drily as his daughter danced away to be with her friends.

“Where’s the hot cocoa stand?� one parent asked, not really expecting an answer.

The youngest children did accept extra clothing, and came off their bus wearing hats and gloves. As always, quite a few dogs came out with their families to take part in the walk. The larger canines seemed fine with the weather. Smaller dogs shivered wildly, but were easily distracted by opportunities to meet and sniff other members of their species. Standing aloof from the other animals (two-legged as well as four-legged) was a llama, who seemed interested in getting down to business. As the walkers headed off down Cherry Hill, the llama stepped briskly into line and ambled off into the chilly afternoon.