Karen Sharp/Submitted Members of Ivy Vine Charities, Inc., the charitable foundation for the Theta Omega Omega chapter, pose with Tony Richards, a host of the WHUR radio station, at the 8th Annual CharitiesWalk at Brookside Gardens on Sept. 22.

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On a sunny day at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, more than 90 walkers strolled the garden’s path for the 8th Annual CharitiesWalk to raise money for the American Diabetes Association scholarships for Washington, D.C., area students and various local charities.

The Saturday event, coordinated by sorority chapter Theta Omega Omega and its charitable foundation Ivy Vine Charities, Inc., also provided an alternative for those who wished to participate in a more restful state — by swaying in about 10 rocking chairs set up in the garden.

Walkers, who included Theta Omega Omega members and their friends and family, took three turns around the path.

“We had babies in strollers, we had everybody participating,” said Susan Peevy, the chair of this year’s CharitiesWalk.

Although the final amount of funds raised was unavailable as of Tuesday, the number of participants nearly doubled those from last year’s walk, and last year’s event raised more than $3,500 from registrations and donations. The chapter, a part of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., will also continue to collect donations for the walk through late October.

The sorority chapter, which coordinates many events for the Montgomery County area, used the walk to highlight one of the health issues the sorority chapter has taken on as a focus for the last eight years.

“We know that diabetes is taking shape more and more,” said Karen Sharp, Ivy Leaf reporter for the sorority chapter. “These days it’s more prevalent.”

Peevy said the chapter aimed to inform attendees, including the kids, about the disease and invited Dr. Triesta Fowler-Lee of the National Institutes of Health to speak on diabetes before the walk.

The event also gave sorority members and others the chance to gather for a good time.

“The reward for me is just seeing everyone enjoy themselves,” Peevy said.

lpowers@gazette.net