Welcome to "Barstow Walks across America for March of Dimes" Pedometer Challenge

EIGHT-WEEK PEDOMETER CHALLENGE
February 15 to April 11, 2010

Barstow Walks across America for March of Dimes, an eight-week pedometer walking challenge, is designed to promote a healthier lifestyle while contributing to a worthy cause – the March of Dimes. Open to all Barstow-area residents and employees, the program is designed as an employer wellness program for teams of five or more participants. Individual participation is allowed; however, we recommend joining as a team to qualify for the team challenge. The Challenge begins February 15, 2010, and has an entry fee of $20 per person.

Organized by Barstow Community Hospital, Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce, Desert Dispatch Charities and Fitness M.D. 24/7, the challenge shows how participants can benefit from the accumulation of incidental activity and encourages them to engage in shorter sessions of physical activity throughout their day. By simply wearing a pedometer, participants can measure their steps throughout the day, working towards the goal of 10,000 steps. If the participant is already active, they can use the pedometer in conjunction with a “steps equivalent” chart and translate other activities, like biking or weight training, into steps.

CHALLENGE DETAILS

• Teams made up of 5 or more members (18 years of age and older) –- no limit to number of team members for each team
• Individuals can participate (but not as part of the team challenge)
• All participants (teams and individuals) must be signed up by February 5, 2010
• Entry fee is $20 per team member (more than $50 value):

1. Receive Accusplit X120 pedometer and challenge water bottle;
2. Access to the branded Barstow Walks Across America website, where participants can log their daily steps, track their progress, and receive coaching tips and fun facts;
3. Online nutritional tool provide by Fitness M.D. 24/7;
4. Weekly motivational newsletters from the Cornerstone Fitness “Just Walk 10,000 Steps-a-Day” fitness staff;
5. Individual and team recognition: donation made to March of Dimes on behalf of the first through third place teams ($500, $250 and $100) and first and second place individuals ($250, $100);
6. Indiviudal milestone incentives: T-Shirt at 100 miles and Sweatshirt at 250 miles; and
7. Improved health and vitality!

COPORATE WELLNESS CHALLENGE

Happy, healthy employees are productive employees

Barstow Walks across America for March of Dimes is an effective and affordable comprehensive corporate wellness challenge for businesses that can reduce your employee costs. For your employees, the challenge is a fun, competitive way they can become more active and healthier by competing against other Barstow-area businesses in the number of steps they take each day as compared to other employees.

Businesses that implement a comprehensive wellness program can improve employee performance, worker absenteeism, and sick days and it may decrease your health insurance premiums (check with your health insurance carrier). On average, for every dollar a company spends on a wellness program, it can save anywhere from $2 to $10 on these common business expenses.

Administered online by your employees anywhere they have access to the Internet, the challenge requires no additional space, time or employees to manage this corporate wellness challenge. It also gives your employees a rewards program (see below) to become healthier.

This fun, engaging exercise program is a win-win for both employers and employees.

What’s in it for the Company?

Employers can save:

• $269 a year per employee who changes from a sedentary to an active lifestyle
• $1,200 a year on employees who reduce their cholesterol levels from 240 to 190 milligrams
• $177 a year for every employee who goes from obese (more than 30 pounds overweight) to a healthy weight

(University of Michigan and Johnson and Johnson)

What’s in it for your employees?

Most people know that regular exercise is important. But many people cannot find the time to fit exercise into their busy schedules. This program shows employees how they can benefit from consistent but shorter sessions of physical activity throughout the day.

SIGN UP TODAY!

Corporate teams sign up with the Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce. Each team needs to appoint a coordinator as the point of contact for the Chamber for payment and challenge communications. Once the Chamber receives payment from the team, the Chamber staff will enter the team and its individual members into the Challenge web site and instruct the team coordinator to ask their participants to go to Fitness M.D. 24/7 for their pedometer, Challenge materials and web site URL.

Individuals sign up at Fitness M.D. 24/7, 320 E. Main St. in Barstow where you will receive their pedometer, Challenge materials and assistance with entering you into the Challenge web site.

Sign up before February 5:

• Teams of 5 or more: Barstow Area Chamber of Commerce, Harvey House, 760-256-8617; www.barstowchamber.com
• Individual participant: Fitness M.D. 24/7 gym, 320 Main St., 760-255-3639; www.fitnessmd24-7.com
• Sponsorship opportunities: Barstow Community Hospital, 760-957-3340

The Challenge’s culminating event is a reception on Friday, April 23, at a local restaurant (TBD) where team and individual winners will be announced and checks provided to March of Dimes on behalf of the first through third place teams and first and second place individuals; raffle prizes; hors d’oeuvres.

All teams will be encouraged to participate in Barstow’s March for Babies on April 24, 2010; teams are encouraged to support the March of Dimes fundraiser with a company team participating during the event.


ORGANIZING PARTNERS:

BENEFITING:

GOLD PARTNERS:

• Barstow Tire & Brake
• Brian Moor Graphic Artist
• Stewart's Tax Service

BRONZE PARTNER:

• Highway Stations (98/99, Highway Rock and Highway Country)
• Xerox -- Barstow Office Supply