Woodside benefits from steps
Published 6:55 am Monday, March 3, 2008
Two area legislators were honored at a celebration in the Capitol for their participation in the “Walk the Talk for Public Health” pedometer challenge.
Rep. John Lovick, D-Mill Creek, logged the most steps, which earned him first prize and a $5,000 donation to Woodside Elementary School in Mays Pond. The donation will be made this morning, Friday, April 29, at the school.
Woodside Elementary will use the money for new playground equipment.
“I wanted to do something good for the kids in the 44th district,” Lovick said. “I walk a lot anyway, so I thought this was a good chance to give them tangible support. Healthy kids mean a healthy future – for our state, and for our country.”
For third prize, $1,000 will go to a school in Rep. Al O’Brien’s, D-Mountlake Terrace, district.
The Washington State Public Health Association issued a challenge to all 147 state lawmakers in January through its Walk the Talk pedometer program.
To participate in the competition, legislators wore pedometers and recorded the number of steps they took for six weeks during the 2005 legislative session.
In early February, Regence BlueShield decided to up the ante by offering to donate cash to schools in the top-stepping legislators’ districts. Regence also provided participating legislators with pedometers, water bottles and booklets explaining ways to improve personal health.
At the end of each week, caucus leaders gathered scorecards from participating legislators who logged their miles for the week. At the end of the month the steps were tallied and the leading legislators were notified.
