Ashley Mayer remembers watching women with strollers walking in Lititz Springs Park 10 years ago. "They would exercise and walk around the park, and I remember thinking, 'This is so cool. I want to be part of something like that when I grow up,'" said Mayer.
Mayer grew up and became a kindergarten teacher at John R. Bonfield Elementary School. Nearly two years ago, her son, Gabriel, was born. "I decided to stay home this last year, thinking I would join something like this," she noted. When she learned that no such official group existed, Mayer decided to research whether one was viable.
In April, Mayer started asking whether there was interest on her own Facebook page and then shared her idea to several Lititz pages, telling herself that if at least 10 people were interested, she would hold the group. The first few weeks, up to 15 mothers and children joined her in Lititz Springs Park on Thursdays at 9 a.m. "I think everybody was itching to get out of the house and connect with people," said Mayer, adding that many of the mothers had given birth during COVID-19 restrictions, so their children had not been around other babies.
Now, up to 30 mothers and children, some coming from as far away as Denver, are meeting weekly at the park. Dubbed the Lititz Stroller Gang, the group gathers in the grassy area between the parking lot and the restrooms. "It's very chill ... between 9 and 9:20 people show up," said Mayer, who holds a 10-minute optional devotion time. Optional prayer request cards are received as well. "By 9:30 we get everyone back in the strollers and start walking," said Mayer. "We are just a bunch of moms with strollers, but when we're walking, we make an impact," said Mayer, who has led expeditions to Dean L. Saylor Park or to the Treehouse Park, where the children can play. "Sometimes we take a long walk and play here (at Lititz Springs)," noted Mayer, who said that she tries to have the group back at Lititz Springs by 11 a.m.
Before starting the group, Mayer would see other mothers pushing strollers around Lititz and wondered why they all could not be walking together. Now she is hoping to keep the group going year-round. "We will walk until it's too cold or snowing," said Mayer. "Once that happens, I would love to look into meeting at a church from December through March. We have such good momentum (that) I don't want it to end." With that in mind, Mayer is planning field trips, craft activities like painting pumpkins, and service projects such as gathering items to donate to House of His Creation, which the group has done once already.
Readers who would like more information may search for "Lititz Stroller Gang" on Facebook.
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