The 4th Annual ALX Dog Walk brought together more than 1,000 dogs and their owners for a two-mile trek through Old Town Alexandria Saturday morning, combining environmental advocacy with puppy playtime.
The event, emceed by NBC4’s Chuck Bell, transformed Oronoco Bay Park into a hub of sustainability education and dog-centered activities.
“Welcome to the 4th Annual ALX Dog Walk,” said Julie Chapman, founder and chair of the event, addressing the early morning crowd of dog lovers and their four-legged companions. “Thank you for supporting our mission of raising awareness and educating people to plastic-free and sustainable living.”
Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins joined the festivities, highlighting the city’s commitment to environmental initiatives.
“It has been amazing to watch this event get bigger and bigger and bigger every single year,” Gaskins told attendees. “Several years ago, our leaders, in response to your outcries and the public commitment to creating a healthier planet, declared a climate emergency.”
The mayor noted that Alexandria has since developed an environmental action plan and created the city’s first Office of Climate Action nearly two years ago.
The ALX Dog Walk, a nonprofit organization focused on making sustainable and plastic-free living accessible through what it calls “#FunActivism,” uses the popular dog walk format to spread its environmental message.
Chapman recognized several local business leaders during the opening ceremony for their commitment to sustainability practices. Markos Panas, owner of Beeliner Diner, Bread and Water, and The Dog Park on King Street, receiveed acknowledgment for swapping plastic straws for paper alternatives and replacing toxic black plastic to-go containers with compostable options.
“While that might not seem like a big deal, when you have a business of this scale, the volume is exceptionally large,” Chapman explained.
Ann Tuccillo, founder of Pawfectly Delicious Dog Treats, also earned recognition for reinventing her product packaging to be compostable.
“It was because of being at this dog walk, I think the second year, and learning all about the plastic-free initiatives that you had initiated that really put the seed in our minds to do that,” Tuccillo said. “You were our inspiration.”
The event featured multiple components beyond the signature two-mile walk. Participants received goodie bags containing sustainably sourced t-shirts and dog bandanas, along with eco-friendly treats. The t-shirt design comes from winner Darcy Rogers, who received a $500 prize as part of the event’s first-ever t-shirt design competition.
“These are our future environmental leaders,” Chapman said of the design competition winners, which also included runners-up Scarlet Yang and Kayla Burkey, who each received $250.
After the walk, dogs competed in a show with categories including “Twinsie” (the dog that most resembles its owner), Best Personality, and Best Groomed. Winners received $100 gift cards.
The Sustainability Festival portion showcased eco-friendly goods and services, plus exhibits of plastic-free products. This year, a new addition, the Plastic Art Show, featured works created by artists using plastic materials, with cash awards from the day’s fundraising.
“We’re excited about this because we think this element of our walk is going to grow,” Chapman said. “It’s so fascinating to see what these incredible artists did.”
The event also hosted a Spring2Action Nonprofit Village, featuring 34 local organizations ahead of ACT for Alexandria’s Giving Day on April 9.
“These nonprofits are brave enough to learn how to host plastic-free tables,” Chapman explained. “It’s a huge industry that most of it cannot be recycled.”
Other initiatives supported by the ALX Dog Walk include the Native Roots Landscape Initiative, a new program that will plant trees and plants in front of schools around Alexandria. The first planting is scheduled for Earth Day.
Mayor Gaskins encouraged attendees to visit every tent at the festival to learn about actions they can take to build a healthier community.
“Whether you declare today that you’re going to have a plastic-free lifestyle, or you make a decision to recycle more, or you decide to learn how you can plant more native plants within your home… or you’re learning about composting, there is a tent and a resource here to help you make that commitment,” she said.
The mayor shared how the ALX Dog Walk team previously helped a concerned resident establish the West End Park Collaborative, which now organizes regular cleanups at Ben Brenman Park.
“That’s what this is about,” Gaskins said before joining the walk with her 15-year-old dog, Riley. “We might not be walking too far, but we will be here for all the treats, all the snuggles, and all the cuddles.”
