TULALIP — It’s a lean economy, and the staff at casinos owned by the Tulalip Tribes want to make sure their bodies match.
More than 2,500 people work for the Tulalip Gaming Organization, which runs the Tulalip and Quil Ceda Creek Casinos and a bingo hall. The Tulalip Tribes are the fourth-largest private employer in Snohomish County. Those people have until today to sign up for the Tulalip Trimdown, a 16-week weight-loss program casino officials have modeled after the NBC reality show “The Biggest Loser.”
About 100 people signed up as of last week, said Ron Foss, financial director of Tulalip Gaming Organization.
“People seem to be pretty into it,” Foss said. “There are posters up all over the place. We hope to get 10 percent of the employees to sign up.”
Participants will be weighed weekly, and weight loss will be reported in terms of percentage, Foss said. Massage therapists who treat casino and bingo hall employees for repetitive stress injuries and other aches and pains will offer some sports training, and prizes will go to those workers who shed the most weight, Foss said.
Casinos aren’t always thought of as places where good health is promoted, but the Tulalip Trimdown is a sign that the stereotype isn’t always true, he said, adding that the trimdown is a contest that everyone wins.
“This is a nice diversion — something to talk about as opposed to the economic conditions out there,” Foss said.
Krista J. Kapralos: 425-339-3422, kkapralos@heraldnet.com.
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