A local nonprofit and hundreds of volunteers are on a mission to push 2019 beyond all expectations.
The Beyond Tucson Foundation will commemorate the anniversary of the Jan. 8, 2011, mass shooting at U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ “Congress On Your Corner” event with the eighth annual Beyond on Saturday.
The community festival presents 18 family-friendly opportunities for people to come together outdoors and strengthen health and well-being.
“The meaning of Beyond is not only about moving beyond tragedy, but moving beyond current social circles and self-perceived limits in terms of what you might want to do in the new year,” said Michelle Crow, director of the Beyond Tucson Foundation.
Spearheaded in 2012 by the extended family of Gabe Zimmerman, one of six people killed in the shooting, the festival is sponsored by Tucson Medical Center and Run Tucson.
Numerous businesses, nonprofits and individuals help facilitate the array of bike rides, dancing, hikes, runs, walks, kickball tournaments and other activities in both urban and rural locations ranging from downtown Tucson and the Rillito River Park to the Tortolita Mountains, Saguaro National Park West and Davidson Canyon.
Among the new offerings this year are community harvests with the nonprofit Iskashitaa Refugee Network.
“When you look at the four pillars of the Beyond Tucson Foundation — explore nature, move regularly, nourish with healthy food and connect with one another as a community — it aligns with much of what we do at Iskashitaa,” said Barbara Eiswerth, founder and director of Iskashitaa.
“First of all, community integration is at our core, along with our desire to welcome United Nations refugees where social isolation is a serious issue and a barrier to community integration and self-sufficiency.
“Second, with our community harvests we want make sure that the one in four people in Pima County who suffer from hunger get fresh fruits and vegetables that would otherwise be unused.”
Iskashitaa harvests about 150,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables each year; about 40 percent of that is donated to food banks, soup kitchens, schools and other organizations and the remainder goes to refugee families in the community.
The upcoming harvests will provide an opportunity for people of all ages to come together for productive activity, Eiswerth said.
“This is a chance for people to marry healthy eating and community building and develop skills that will help to attack rampant food waste,” said Eiswerth, an advocate for public education about the 93 different fruits, vegetables, herbs, edible seeds, pods and nuts harvested by Iskashitaa.
Personal connections are priority for parkrun, another new Beyond activity scheduled at Himmel Park on Saturday.
David Armet, who founded Himmel parkrun last summer, based on events he ran while living in the United Kingdom for 14 years, said the informal time trial is about much more than speed.
“The goal is absolutely not only about running and fast people: It is about community and getting out there,” said Armet, 36, a native Tucsonan and University of Arizona graduate.
Armet said the concept originated with an injured runner who was depressed because he could no longer run with his friends.
“He said, ‘Hey guys, come out for a 5K time trial and you have to come for coffee afterward,’ and it made a world of difference for him socially. People who attended also found that having a race-like atmosphere that they didn’t have to pay for was very simple and useful,” said Armet.
Ultimately, Armet emphasized that parkrun is not a race. He said that it is perfect not only for those interested in improving their 5K times, but for those who might be intimidated by the formality of big races.
“This is a parkrun, which is a tightly measured course with a start. Everyone gets a time, but it is not a race. We don’t care how long it takes you; you can’t get disqualified. We always provide the final finisher — a tail walker who officially ends the event, so no one needs to show up and be worried about being last. We focus on participation and people having a good time,” Armet said.
Participants can register for free online at parkrun.us/register and will receive a personal barcode that must be printed out to use as a ticket; this allows times to be recorded as participants cross the finish line.
