Greater Lansing Gets Fit With Community Challenge

Lead-in: LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS WALKED THEIR WAY INTO BETTER HEALTH AND INTO GRANT DOLLARS. VICTORIA MARZEC (MARS-ECK) REPORTS FROM THE LANSING MALL.

JODI DAVIS WAS MORBIDLY OBESE FOR 25 YEARS. AT 300 POUNDS, SHE KNEW SHE HAD TO CHANGE HER WAY OF LIFE. SO JODY BEGAN WALKING…EVERY DAY… FOR 25 MINUTES EACH DAY. 16-MONTHS LATER, SHE HAD LOST 162 POUNDS.

NOW JODI WORKS AS THE WALKING AND HEALTHY LIVING ADVOCATE FOR BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN, TELLING HER STORY AND THE BENEFITS OF WALKING TO PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR WEIGHT.

SHE SPOKE AT THE LANSING MALL ON SATURDAY AT THE END OF THE BLUES COMMUNITY CHALLENGE.

(Sound bite #1) -“It’s just reminding people how important exercise is in a daily routine and we’re hoping that they don’t stop today. That they continue on walking every day after this event.”

THE CHALLENGE WAS AN EIGHT-WEEK WALKING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO KEEP RESIDENTS OF THE NINE GREATER LANSING COMMUNITIES ACTIVE DURING WINTER. THE NINE COMMUNITIES COMPETED FOR A TOTAL OF 10-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GRANTS BY LOGGING THE NUMBER OF MILES THEY WALKED.

THE COMMUNITY WITH THE MOST MILES LOGGED, WON.

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP SUPERVISOR, SUSAN MCGILLICUDDY (MC-GILL-EH-CUT-IE) SAYS HAVING A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS HEALTHY LIVING KEEPS RESIDENTS IN THE TOWNSHIP.

(Sound bite #2) -“We have a lot of natural area in the township. And I really think that having a healthy lifestyle is important as you age. And we’re hoping that people stay in the community, rather than move out of the community. And this is one way that they can stay.”

DURING THE CHALLENGE, 70 RESIDENTS FROM MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP LOGGED SIX-THOUSAND-824 MILES.

(NATURAL SOUND)

MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP PLACED SIXTH OVERALL, WITH DELHI TOWNSHIP PLACING FIRST. MERIDIAN RECEIVED 750- DOLLARS IN GRANT MONEY THAT MCGILLICUDDY SAYS WILL GO
TOWARD IMPROVING COMMUNITY TRAILS.

THE PATHS WILL HELP OTHER MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP RESIDENTS TO FOLLOW JODI’S STEPS. JODY HAS KEPT HER WEIGHT OFF FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS BY WALKING ONE AND A HALF MILES EVERY DAY.

(Sound bite #3)- “Turn off those T-Vs, get off the computer, and get outside and walk. That’s my motto.”

REPORTING FOR U-P-I-U FROM THE LANSING MALL, I’M VICTORIA MARZEC.

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