Join the squad: teamwork makes the “Lake Loop” dream work

August 28, 2020| Recreation, Events, Fundraising

By: Caitlin Doran

As you, our loyal news-readers, are well aware – this year’s Lake Loop event has gone virtual!

I see you nodding your head in affirmation. But many are still asking...

“Ok, so what does that mean, exactly?”

It means that participants now have the flexibility to get moving any way they choose, from anywhere they choose. Originally a bike, run, paddle challenge at Hopatcong State Park, the Virtual Lake Loop Challenge now allows participants to, for example, swim off their dock, bike the trails near their house, do Tai Chi in their backyard…we’ll even accept competitive basket-weaving, if it makes you break out in a sweat!

“But LHF, I can do those things any old day! What makes me a Virtual Lake Loop participant?”

Registration. And teams! While it’s true, you can go for a jog or a quick ride in your neighborhood any day, it’s only through the Virtual Lake Loop Challenge that you can take that effort and turn it into sweat equity that benefits our lake and community. Getting active as a Virtual Lake Loop participant is also a great way to win some prizes. No one’s ever offered me a prize for jogging before!

“So, like, how do teams work?”

You can register for the Virtual Lake Loop Challenge as an individual, sure. But when you register as a team, you add another level of goofy-fun and camaraderie, and you boost your fundraising power, which, at the end of the day, is critical to the success of the event and LHF’s mission to foster a vibrant and healthy lake.

The Virtual Lake Loop Challenge has an overall goal to “get moving” for 2,020 hours and raise $60k to support the lake. However, your team can set any goals it wants (individuals can do this too, of course): you can set a team fundraising goal, a team mileage goal, an hourly goal. You can have a goal of having more members than any other team, or my personal favorite, have the best team name.

And boy, are we seeing some great team names! On the leader board, right now, are some fierce and formidable teams. In no particular order (after my team, because my team is the best) are Loops I Did it Again!, GoJo, Loop de Loop, Live-Laugh-Lake-Loop, Feeling Loopy, Through Thick and Thin!, etc. etc.

While the Virtual Lake Loop officially runs from October 1 – October 11, there’s no need to wait to register yourself or your team, by going to lakeloop.org. Many participants are already getting active and raising funds by asking their friends, family, and coworkers to support them. We’re also seeing some great activity on our strava club page: strava.com/clubs/lakeloop which we will be monitoring closely from October 1-11, to see how close we are to reaching our goal of 2,020 hours.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to register today, form a team, hit us with that great team name, and get moving – any way you choose!  And if you’re looking for inspiration, I suggest following team Loops, I Did It Again, as we channel the power of Brittany Spears to pedal, paddle, and run-walk-run-nap-run to victory!!

Join us!