Join Us for Christmas Tree Arrival and Annual Lights Walk

Our latest newsletter is here: November – December 2024 newsletter 

On Wednesday, November 13th, the RiverFront will be hosting the nation’s Christmas tree as it travels across the nation to Washington, D.C. The Trailblazers will be part of the fun from 5 – 7 p.m. Come and see us! 

On Saturday, December 14th, we will be hosting our annual Lights Walk. Head to the west doors of KANEKO on 12th & Farnam between 4 and 6 p.m. Courtesy of The RiverFront, everyone walks for free! We are collecting hats, mittens, gloves and warm socks for the homeless.

Club members are asked to help with the many volunteer positions available and to bring cookies, treats and items for the dozens of door prizes available to our walking friends.

Mark your calendars for the Saturday, January 18th Annual Dinner meeting, to be held at 1:30 p.m. at Legends Patio and Grill in Aksarben. 

Lights Walk – coming up soon!

Our annual Lights Walk will be held this Saturday, December 2nd. Thanks to a generous grant from Omaha’s The RiverFront, the normal walk fee will be waived for all participants!

This is a great family event. We’re offering a 5k or 10k marked route through the Holiday Lights Festival, with directions and map. Strollers and leashed dogs are welcome. In the spirit of the season, we are participating in the diaper drive for Lydia House. Diapers, wipes and cash donations will be gratefully accepted.

When: Saturday, December 2nd. Registration between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., event ends at 8 p.m.

Where: KANEKO, 1111 Jones Street, Omaha, NE 68102 (metered parking and pay lots are available nearby)
 
Includes:  Cookies, hot drinks and fun door prizes

November – December 2023 newsletter

Our latest newsletter is now available. Click here to start reading: November – December 2023 Newsletter

A couple of things to emphasize from the newsletter:

  • Elections for our 2024 Club Officers and 2023 Walker of the Year will start online on November 20th.  Look for your email from netrailblazers@gmail.com. The link is good for two adult club members in the same household. Those who cannot vote online may vote at the December 4th club meeting. All nominees are running unopposed, so unless a nomination “from the floor” is made during voting, voting in person will be limited to either a “yes” or a “no” by voice vote. No ballots will be printed or mailed.
  • Our December 2nd Lights Walk, starting at KANEKO at 4 p.m. looks to be a huge event, based on feedback we’re seeing on Meetup and Facebook. Can you help by bringing cookies? Can you help staff the event? A SignUpGenius link to volunteer was previously sent out. If you missed it, just drop us a line, letting us know how you’d like to help.

2022 isn’t over yet!

Lights along the Gene Leahy Mall, 2022

December 3rd, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. – Lights Walk: Starting at KANEKO at 11th and Jones in the Old Market, with plenty of paid parking available in the area. Courtesy of The RiverFront, this walk is FREE! In the holiday spirit, we’re collecting diapers and cash donations for Lydia House, so drop those off before you walk. A 5k and a 10k route will be available. After the walk, stay for cookies, hot drinks and a raffle with oodles of prizes available.

December 5th, 7 p.m. – Club Meeting: Our last club meeting for 2022 will be festive, so be sure to come! Voting for club officers and the Walker of the Year is currently taking place online – did you get your member’s link by email to vote? Those not voting online can cast a voice vote at the meeting.

December 31st: Annual club dues should be in to our club treasurer. $10 per individual membership and just $15 for a family membership – what a deal! You can pay at the Lights Walk, the December 5th club meeting OR mail them in to: NWFT  PO Box 8147  Omaha, NE 68108.

January 2, 2023, 7 p.m. – Relax, there’s no club meeting! We’ll be holding our annual Dinner Meeting later in the month (January 21st at Legend’s Patio Bar and Grill in Aksarben Village). More details to come about that meeting.

December 2021

Saturday, December 4th, 4 to 6 p.m. – annual Lights Walk at the Urban Abbey, 1026 Jackson Street in Omaha’s Old Market.  Surface parking lots and parking meters are available in the area. Cost is $3 per walker. The Urban Abbey will have hot drinks for sale, while our club will provide complimentary cookies. Our host has asked us to support their mission with the YES Maternity Group Home by bringing diapers for sizes 3 and up. We’ll be offering “diaper shares” for a $5 donation.  Donations are not required, but as always, are greatly appreciated. Register online using this eRegistration LinkMASKS REQUIRED DURING CHECK-IN.

Monday, December 6th, 7 p.m. – monthly club meeting at Morning Star Lutheran Church, 331 S. 85th Avenue, Omaha, in the chapel.  After our speaker, a short business meeting will be conducted, including in-person voting for 2022 Club Officers and the 2021 Walker of the Year. MASKS REQUIRED.

–>Note about voting: The club tried a new (free) way to conduct on-line voting for 2022 Club Officers and the 2021 Walker of the Year. We’re learning that several club members may not have received the link to vote, due to their internet provider’s spam filters. If you are a club member and wish to vote on-line (rather than in-person at the club meeting on December 6th), first check your Spam Folders for the November 16th invitation to vote. If you can’t find it, contact netrailblazers@gmail.com and you’ll be sent the link to vote.

12/31/2021 – That’s when all club memberships expire. Look for your renewal notice, coming soon.

The 2022 Calendar of Walks and Events will be posted as soon as a couple of details get finalized.  Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 9 a.m. at the Westroads Mall is the first group walk of the year, so mark your calendars now!

 

Oh, What a Night! Lights Walk 2017

Holiday Island 2017

Our December 2, 2017 Night of Lights Walk was successful beyond all our imagination!  By the numbers:

689 walkers:  41 were for credit, 658 were “Fun Walkers”, who were from 66 towns and cities in 7 states (CO, KS, MO, SD, MN, IA and NE)

For New Visions (Council Bluffs) and Siena/Francis House (Omaha) homeless shelters, we collected:

  • 967 rolls of toilet paper
  • 300 pairs of socks
  • 12 pairs of children’s socks
  • 250 pairs of gloves
  • 200 hats
  • 80 scarves
  • 4 new winter coats
  • 60 misc. items, including toiletries
  • 23 extra packages of cookies

967 Rolls of Toilet Paper!

A big THANK YOU! to all of our walkers for their generosity.  Also, a big THANK YOU!  to all of our volunteers.  We received many compliments and good feedback on a special night and many expressed hope that we’d be doing this again.