Many employees in the Wellington area got their walking papers – for THRIVE! Southern Lorain County’s Worksite Wellness Walking Challenge, that is.
THRIVE!, a community collaborative funded by United Way of Greater Lorain County, has a three-part mission to improve the physical, nutritional and social/emotional health of southern Lorain County residents. “THRIVE!’s Walking Challenge presents an opportunity to address key health issues facing many southern Lorain County residents. A 2019 Lorain County Health Assessment reported that 32 percent of adults were overweight, and 38 percent were obese based on body mass index (BMI),” said Carol Burke, facilitator of THRIVE!. Added Jennifer Arntz, executive director of Main Street Wellington, which is managing the Challenge, “Stress from COVID-19 cancellations and closings has hurt morale in many businesses. Walking and other physical activities are a great way to reduce stress and have fun. A friendly group competition can also build team spirit and rapport within companies.” The Walking Challenge: How It Works
Businesses and organizations in the Wellington area formed teams and signed up for the Walking Challenge, which begins Sunday, November 1 through Monday, November 30.
Each walker must log in the number of steps he or she takes on a Fitbit or pedometer and report the total number of steps walked each week using the Lorain County Public Health portal: https://walks.loraincountyhealth.com/. Participants will be able to track their team’s progress against other teams throughout the Challenge. For those without a tracking device, THRIVE! will provide walkers with pedometers free of charge. The team that accrues the most steps will win the Challenge. A total of 14 teams with 46 employee-walkers have signed up for the Challenge. They include SLCAD EMS, North Coast Wireless, Wellington United Church of Christ, SGR [Town Hall Walkers], Rochester Roadies, On Track Nutrition, PT Services, Colonial Barbershop/Heather’s Massage Therapy, LCCC-Wellington Center, Allstate Insurance, King Realty, Main Street Wellington and THRIVE! Southern Lorain County. Prizes!
THRIVE! is funding the prizes, which include:
Team Prize (for one business): a choice of $250 worth of Bread-N-Brew gift certificates or a water cooler with three, five-gallon water jugs (valued at $275) “Spirit Awards” (for up to three people). Teams will nominate a Spirit Award recipient by filling out a form between December 1 and December 15, 2020. Participants are encouraged to get photos of themselves walking and then posting their progress on social media. They will earn points toward the Spirit Award, based on their participation, social media presence and progress, when their colleagues tag @thrivesoloco or #thriveslcwalkingchallenge. The Spirit Award includes the choice of a Fitbit Inspire or a $50 gift certificate to Bread-N-Brew. |
Not Just Walking!While the name of THRIVE!’s program is “Walking Challenge,” you can do other activities as you see fit. When you log into the Lorain County Public Health portal -- https://walks.loraincountyhealth.com/ -- it will take you to the “dashboard,” where you’ll see “Steps,” “My Challenges,” etc. Go to the far right and click on “Activity Translator.” You’ll see all sorts of activities, such as golfing, raking leaves, power walking. Click on your activity. Then, type in the number of minutes you performed the activity and it will translate it into number of steps. Easy!
INDOORS
Village of Wellington Town Hall (GYMNASIUM), 115 Willard Memorial Square, Wellington; tel. 440-647-4626. Indoor walking, Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. https://www.villageofwellington.com/Facilities/Facility/Details/Town-Hall-1 OUTDOORS NEW!!! Jenny Arntz, director of Main Street Wellington, literally measured the distance of walking around Union School Park for all you walkers out there! It’s .38 mile, to be exact. Findley State Park, 25381 State Route 58, Wellington; tel. 440-647-5749. Hours: 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., 7 days a week https://www.alltrails.com/parks/us/ohio/findley-state-park Leininger Park, State Route 58 just south of State Route 162, Huntington Township; tel. 440-647-0040. Hours: Dawn to dusk (daylight hours), 7 days a week http://www.huntingtontwp.org/leininger-park.html Lorain County Fairgrounds, 23000 Fairgrounds Road, Wellington; tel. 440-647-2781. Hours: Dawn to dusk (daylight hours), 7 days a week https://loraincountyfair.com/ Lorain County Metro Parks: ▪ Carlisle Reservation,12882 Diagonal Road, LaGrange; tel. 440-458-5121. Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, 7 days a week https://www.google.com/maps/place/Carlisle+Reservation/@41.299879,-82.1382308,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8830a184ff5b25c1:0x2f21a9b3771a075e!8m2!3d41.299879!4d-82.1360421 ▪ Caley Reservation, 18207 West Road, Pittsfield Township; tel. 440-458-5121. Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, 7 days a week https://www.google.com/maps/place/Caley+Reservation/@41.2188697,-82.1766237,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8830a6556d9521eb:0x1aeb80a09cf807cd!8m2!3d41.2193688!4d-82.1806346 ▪ Wellington Reservation, 535 Jones Road, Wellington; tel. 440-647-2509. Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset, 7 days a week https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wellington+Reservation/@41.1471581,-82.2335397,17z/data=!3m1-1 |