Mahanoy vs. Shenandoah Walking Challenge
The University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and The PA Department of Health are partnering with Schuylkill County’s VISION to increase opportunities for physical activity in the Mahanoy Area and Shenandoah Valley school districts through an initiative called WalkWorks. By establishing community-based walking routes and forming walking groups, WalkWorks seeks to enhance and improve the health of residents.
The six routes, three in Mahanoy City and three in Shenandoah, are each one mile in length. The routes will be marked with WalkWorks signs, and maps will be posted online.
The Great Mahanoy-Shenandoah Walking Challenge 2016 began on May 30 and runs through the summer, ending September 5. This is a friendly competition between Shenandoah Valley and Mahanoy Area residents to see which area can accumulate the most miles walked during the summer.
All ages are invited to participate. Flyers, walking logs and reminder cards can be found at various locations in Shenandoah and Mahanoy City. Online walking logs are also available. A trophy will be awarded to the winning district. Schuylkill County’s VISION has been actively promoting additional healthy activities in the county in conjunction with the WalkWorks project. VISION hosted a walk on March 30 with the Mahanoy Area Achieve Afterschool Program for approximately 30 middle school students on the Golden Bear Jaunt. Mahanoy Area High School students, under the direction of Principal Tom Smith, walked the Mahanoy Stroll on April 29 and learned about the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle. Members of the Mahanoy City Historical Society accompanied the walkers and shared interesting information about the sites they passed along the route.
A Walk with a Doc group meets Tuesday mornings in Shenandoah. Coordinated by Carl Kramer, Wellness Ambassador for Rite Aid, these walks begin with a health care professional briefly discussing a wellness topic. The professional accompanies the walkers to answer questions.
Nutrition and healthy eating classes will also be offered over the summer. Watch for details about these programs.