Local Organization Seeks to Get Torontonians Back to Nature

September 10 ride and music festival highlights programming aimed at promoting active living and art on the Pan Am Path.

TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2016 /CNW/ - In collaboration with Cycle Toronto, Jane's Walk, and over 20 local partners, the Friends of the Pan Am Path is producing a new series of walks, talks and rides along the citywide Pan Am Path to draw Torontonians back to nature and encourage active living and neighbourhood connectivity.

"Our new P4K Pathfinding program builds on the strength of our partnerships with local communities across the trail network. The program supports locally-led programming on the Pan Am Path to ensure it continues to serve residents as a recreational corridor connecting communities with nature and each other," says James Meers, Executive Director of the Friends of the Pan Am Path.

A year ago, the Friends of the Pan Am Path, in partnership with the City of Toronto, unveiled the Pan Am Path, an 80 km art and recreational trail spanning the length of Toronto from Etobicoke to Scarborough. In 2015, the organization brought the path to life with 14 community-led festivals, including over 57 thought-provoking art pieces, 97 live performances, and a total of 244 installations. Mayor John Tory called the project "a cornerstone of the Pan Am Games Legacy."

This year, the Friends of the Pan Am Path is collaborating with Playing for Keeps and over 20 local organizations on a new initiative consisting of a series of walks, talks and rides on the Path called "P4K Pathfinding: Walks, Talks and Rides." The project is funded by the Toronto Foundation.

A signature P4K Pathfinding event takes place this Saturday, September 10, in partnership with the Toronto Bicycle Music Festival. The event kicks off at 11am at Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave.) with live concert performances and continues by bike as a mobile concert series across the Pan Am Path. The free, public Toronto Bicycle Music Festival and P4K Pathfinding ride will end with a concert at Prairie Drive Park in Scarborough.

"The Path presents a powerful opportunity to tackle some of the issues we've been following through our Toronto's Vital Signs Report: a city divided between rich and poor; a declining sense of belonging among some population groups; and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle leading to rising rates of obesity," says Rosalyn Morrison, VP, Community Initiatives, Toronto Foundation. "This new series allows residents to get to know their city and each other with fun forms of physical activity as the catalyst," she adds.

For more information on the September 10 event visit: https://www.cycleto.ca/bicyclemusicfestival

For more information on P4K Pathfinding visit: www.panampath.org.

About P4K Pathfinding
The P4K Pathfinding program was launched in July and will continue until mid-October.

Upcoming P4K Pathfinding events:
September 10 - P4K Pathfinding Ride with Cycle Toronto, Evergreen Brick Works and the Toronto Bicycle Music Festival
September 17 - P4K Pathfinding Walks with Jane's Walk and East Scarborough Storefront
October 14 - P4K Pathfinding Walk with Jane's Walk, Vibe Arts and Rexdale Community Health Centre

Past P4K Pathfinding Events:
July 1 - P4K Pathfinding Walk with MJKO
July 17 - P4K Pathfinding Ride with Cycle Toronto and CultureLink
August 20 - P4K Pathfinding Walk with Agincourt Community Services Association
August 30 - P4K Pathfinding Walk with North York Community House

SOURCE Friends of the Pan Am Path

Media Inquiries: Andrea Charles, PR Lead, Friends of the Pan Am Path, [email protected] | 416 722 3793; Other Inquiries: James Meers, ED, Friends of the Pan Am Path, [email protected] | 647 205 7898