The Moving Starke County Forward coalition wants to improve the health of local residents one step at a time. The coalition is sponsoring a “Moving Starke County Across America” walking challenge to collectively encourage residents to walk, bike or run 3,000 miles between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Participants will have a shot at prizes and raffle drawings after the challenge wraps up in September. It’s estimated that 35 percent of Starke County adults ages 20 and older do not participate in any kind of physical activity, which is nearly last among Indiana residents and leads to health problems like diabetes, cardiac disease and obesity.
A community pep rally to start the walking challenge is scheduled Saturday, May 25 at 10 a.m. at Wythogan Park in downtown Knox. It’s been reset from this Saturday, May 18. The first 250 people who sign up will get a pedometer to track their progress. Various agencies will be present with health information, including a community Zumba demonstration. They will also offer advice on healthy activities, nutritional information and how to choose walking shoes. If you can’t make it to the pep rally, you can sign up at your local library or call or email Heather Skelly at IU Health Starke Hospital. Her telephone number is (574) 772-1272, and her email is Hskelly@IUHealth.org.
