HOLLAND TWP., MI (WHTC) – Ottawa County Department of Public Health officials say that their “Step it Up! Walking Challenge” saw “excellent” results this fall.
Over a seven-week span, 404 participants were challenged to each walk 225 miles over a seven-week period in a virtual hike along the Michigan segment of the North Country Trail, with weekly sessions at several county parks, led by naturalist guides from the Parks department. They totaled more than 71 thousand miles during their participation.
In a statement, Heath Department Educator Amy Scheele said that 40 percent of those in the program “reported an increase in their level of physical activity from the beginning of the challenge to the end” and that the average participant walked 216 miles over seven weeks.
Grant funding has been secured by the department for two 2017 sessions, the first starting in April.
