CATS Walk organizers not afraid of a little rain

The 15th annual event begins tomorrow morning at 9:30.
By CHELSEY POLLOCK
Union Leader Correspondent
DERRY — Though some wet weather is expected this weekend, supporters of the Community Alliance for Teen Safety will be walking through downtown Derry tomorrow — rain or shine.
“We’re hoping for good weather, but sometimes in the fall no matter when we hold the walk we seem to get rain,” said CATS Director Sue Centner yesterday. “But we go rain or shine.”
Registration for the 15th annual CATS Walk begins at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at McGregor Park on East Broadway in Derry, with the walk beginning at 10 a.m. Participants will be able to choose from two routes, both under 3 miles and finishing back at McGregor Park.
After the walk, participants will gather at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at 63 East Broadway for refreshments and a raffle. 
And while donations to support CATS programming will be accepted throughout the event, Centner said the group decided not to collect a registration fee this year. 
“This year we’re doing things just a little bit differently and hoping that more people will come out,” Centner said. “We understand that every penny counts, so the most important thing is the awareness and doing something positive.” 
The group has named “wellness” as the theme of Saturday’s walk, but Centner said she hopes the walk will encourage healthy behaviors throughout the year. 
“We’d love for families to come out together to spend some time together to talk and exercise,” she said. “It’s a chance to get to know the town a little bit by walking through downtown and seeing what other resources are there. It’s a little part to make their day better and hopefully build some kind of positive reinforcement of those habits.” 
CATS has held an annual fundraising walk since it was first founded in 1996, in response to the deaths of several local teenagers after car crashes. 
While the group’s founding goal was vehicle safety, Centner said CATS has expanded its scope over the years to incorporate all issues relating to teen health and safety, including the prevention of teen substance abuse and suicide. 
For more information, visit catsnh.org