Yesterday morning, as the leaves fell faster than the rain, a couple dozen locals met to work out in Memorial Park near the Skate House with Carlos Sanchez of Maplewood Boot Camps. The fitness drill usually comes as part of a monthly package, but yesterday, people were invited to try the camp out for free on a one-time basis if they brought a food pantry item or gently used coat to donate for MEND.

MEND--or Meeting Emergency Needs with Dignity--will distribute the donated goods to its 15 food pantries in Essex County on November 14. 

The workout included some fun, Halloween-specific training stations, such as pumpkins for lifting and hay bale pushups.

Across Oakview, Girls on the Run was also meeting in Memorial Park for a 5K practice run. The girls had a table full of bananas and healthy carbs--a nice change from all the candy!