The Selma Chapter of Links will be pounding the pavement Saturday during the organization’s 21st annual walk-a-thon.

This year’s theme is “Marching to a Healthier Beat … Selma on the Move.” Links member Charlotte Griffith said the walk-a-thon is a way to bring attention to the importance of healthy living.

“We do this each year to help foster awareness for health and health-related activities,” Griffith.

The grand marshals for the 2016 walk-a-thon are Selma City Schools superintendent Angela Mangum and Dallas County Schools superintendent Hattie Shelton.

“We have serious health issues in Dallas County, and it’s never to late to start focusing on your health and healthy living, but it’s even more important, we feel, to focus on the youth,” Griffith said. “These two ladies [Mangum and Shelton] are in charge of school systems with more than 8,000 students, and we want to highlight them because the goal is to develop the whole child — not only academically but health-wise also. We felt like they have a great charge.”

Registration for the walk-a-thon, which will be held at Memorial Stadium, is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Registration will begin Saturday, Sept. 24 at 6 a.m., and the walk starts at 7 a.m.

Proceeds in the past have benefited the Edmundite Missions, which the Links presented a $500 check to during last year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast.

Helping oversee this year’s event are chairs Phenicia Nunn and Maria Dale as well as Dr. Jewell Hamner.

In addition to the walk, there will also be booths with health related information as well as health screenings from local physicians.

In past years, up to 200 people have come out for the event. Griffith said there is always support from local churches, nonprofits, Greek organizations and youth groups.

“We usually have a large crowd. We hope to have that again,” Griffith said.

New Links member Felicia Solomon-Owens said she’s been impressed by all the work that goes into the walk-a-thon.

“There’s so much time, effort and thought that goes into making this a great event for the community,” Solomon-Owens said.