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The group Set Free has helped her find that time by connecting her with other area women who face the same challenge.
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Barbara Strohm , front and Diane Sullivan Snowshoe on the Hixon Forest Trail . The two ladies are part of a group that get together to do activities through the year.Dick Riniker photo |
Pennebecker meets with members to go hiking, snowshoeing or other outdoor recreation activities most Monday afternoons.
“I always look forward to my Monday off because I know this group usually gets together,” she said as she tromped across the Hixon Forest floor in her snowshoes Monday with three other women she has met through Set Free. “It’s fun to get together with the girls, and it’s an opportunity to be outside, get some exercise and catch up on peoples’ lives.”
Small groups meet at different times to accommodate a variety of schedules, abilities and interests. A schedule is sent to members with upcoming events.
About 70 women are in Set Free, and they range in age from their 20s to their 70s. Most are from Onalaska and La Crosse, but some come from as far as Winona, Minn., to participate.
They go kayaking, hiking, cross-country skiing, skating, sledding, biking and geocaching, and take road trips. They’ve even tried skijouring, in which members wear a rope around their waist as a dog pulls them on skis.
They add new groups as more people express new interests and find others within the group that would like to do the same, said Patti Sherry, a member and coordinator of Monday afternoon activities.
However, it’s not so much what they do as the connections they make, said Pat Pallardy, Set Free director.
“The main thing is we connect women with other women that want to do similar things,” she said.
The group started about two years ago, when Pallardy introduced kayaking to a small group of women, who then met more often for other activities, she said.
Today, not only do members participate in recreation activities, but they can learn a skill in workshops about topics from math to football.
Later this year, they’ll introduce social activities, where members go out to movies, dinner or the theater, Pallardy said.
“It’s just a lot of fun,” said Pallardy. “Women come with her own gifts, abilities and talents, and they want to share them.”
Pennebecker said when she first thought of joining Set Free, her biggest fear was people would be more experienced at the activities than she was, but she soon learned that’s not what the group is about.
“It’s not about expertise, it’s not about competition, it’s not about fashion or about wearing makeup,” said member Barbara Stohm. “It’s about being outside, enjoying what you like to do at your comfort level.”
And it’s about having some time for yourself, Pennebecker said.
“Forget the job and family for awhile — it’s time for me,”
Want to join?
Membership is $100 per year, and all women are welcome to join. To learn more about Set Free, go to www.setfree2enjoy.com.
KJ Lang can be reached at (608) 791-8226 or klang@lacrossetribune.com.
