Q-C walkers are honored

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By Karla Walsh | Wednesday, July 09, 2008 |

Area residents, such as Mary Acord, strapped on their pedometers to track activity for three months, beginning April 4.

Acord, a member of the Riverside United Methodist Church team in the “Moon Walk,” recorded an impressive 491 miles over the three month span. The shocking part? Acord is 89 years old. She was the winner of the Quad-Cities’ first Moon Walk inspiration award.

Quad-City Health Initiative (QCHI) hosted a Splashdown Ceremony Wednesday to acknowledge the hard work of all involved in the 2008 Moon Walk. Splashdown, which is a term used for the landing that is made during the return to Earth of astronauts in water, culminated the 12-week program.

Moon Walk pitted the Quad-Cities against Peoria and Champaign-Urbana in a fitness battle. About 5,210 people, who made up 96 teams for the Quad-City community tally, tracked their steps in a virtual race to the moon and back twice.

The Quad-Cities won the competition with over 1.25 million miles, while Peoria accumulated 594,588 miles and Champaign-Urbana walked 320,204 miles.

John Deere employees participate in many wellness programs, but Moon Walk always has one of the largest participation rates. Family participation seems to encourage follow-through, explained Sharon Hodson, team captain for Deere and Company World Headquarters in Moline.

“We may be adults, but we need a bit of fun,” Hodson said, of the reason Moon Walk is successful in motivating participants to increase activity.

Deere and Company World Headquarters was the largest team, with 556 members. St. Ambrose and Genesis Health System also generated large teams. The Scott County Family YMCA team posted the most miles per participant, averaging over 1,430 per person.

Two members of the Peoria Moon Walk group attended Splashdown to hand over the Moon Walk walking stick trophy. The community that racks up the most miles keeps the stick until next year’s winner is crowned.

Angie Ludwig, project coordinator from Peoria Area Labor Management Council (PALM) and Deb Dooley, assistant from PALM presented the walking stick to Quad-City participants. The Quad-Cities have been involved in Moon Walk for three years, winning their first year and this year. Peoria launched the program six years ago and this is Champaign-Urbana’s first year.

“We have to give up the walking stick, but it will give us an incentive to come back even stronger next year,” Ludwig said.

Nicole Carkner, QCHI project coordinator, and Jerry Jones, Wellness Champions co-chair, co-hosted Splashdown.

“There are no losers in the Moon Walk,” Carkner said.

However, some walkers may actually have become “losers” in the weight-loss sense. One team had 62 percent of its members begin regular exercise programs because of Moon Walk. The average Moon Walk participant trekked 244 miles during the 12 weeks.

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.