With freezing drizzle predicted and wind chills in the single digits as I write this column, it sounds a bit crazy to talk about going for a walk, but that is just what I’m going to do. Walk Kansas is a signature program for K-State Research and Extension that has been around since 2000. Each year this fitness challenge motivates people from all walks of life to get moving. The dates for the 2019 campaign are March 17th through May 11th.
To participate in Walk KS you will need to start by recruiting a team of six people. Many times teams consist of family members, friends or co-workers. Come up with a fun name, register your team, and report the minutes that team members exercise each week, beginning March 17th. All of the registration details can be accomplished on line. There is a fee of $8 per team member or $17 per person if all team members wish to order a t-shirt. Payment by check or cash will need to be made at either the Hays or Great Bend offices. Brenda and Theresa, our office professionals in the Great Bend and Hays offices can answer specific questions you may have as you register your teams.
On-line registration will open for residents of the Cottonwood Extension District the week of Feb. 18th. We would like to complete team registration by Monday, March 11th if possible.
Several interesting activities that support this fitness challenge are planned for the next few months. Mark your calendar for Thursday, Feb. 21, and join me at noon at the Great Bend Activity Center for the program “Let’s Live a Little: Physical Activity for Fun and Fitness.” March programs focus on “Healthy Choices When Eating Out.” I helped update a K-State Research and Extension publication by the same title and am excited to share the information with everyone. Join me Wednesday, March 6, at noon at the Great Bend Activity Center, or Friday, March 22 at 1 p.m. at the Great Bend Senior Center. My visit to Hays to present “Healthy Choices When Eating Out” is Thursday, March 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the Extension office meeting room at 601 Main in Hays.
A wrap up celebration for the Walk KS program is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15, at noon at the Great Bend Activity Center. A free healthy luncheon will be provided for any Walk KS team member. The public may pre-register by May 3rd for lunch by paying $5.
So get your walking shoes ready and your team pulled together and join the 2019 Walk KS program in your community!
Donna Krug is the Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension – Cottonwood District. Contact her at 620-793-1910 or dkrug@ksu.edu.
