First responder walking challenge set

The WalkWorks ChesCo! First Responder Walking Challenge starts Saturday with a special event open to all.

SOUTH COATESVILLE » The latest challenge set by the Chester County Commissioners to encourage county residents to take five billion steps by the end of 2018 will be launched on Saturday at the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus (PSTC) in South Coatesville. The WalkWorks ChesCo! First Responder Walking Challenge kicks-off that day at a special event open to the public, and especially all Chester County emergency responders and their families and friends.

The First Responder Walking Challenge has identified three teams representing Chester County’s 5,000-plus emergency responders, and each of the three county commissioners will be heading a team. Commissioner Michelle Kichline is leading #TeamLE – all law enforcement professionals and their supporters in the county; Commissioner Kathi Cozzone will head up #TeamEMS – all emergency medical services personnel and their supporters; and Commissioner Terence Farrell will don a firefighter helmet as he leads #TeamFIRE for all fire fighters and their supporters.

As part of the First Responder Walking Challenge launch, the county will be holding a free community health fair at the PSTC from 10 a.m. to noon on April 7, with organizations and companies promoting good physical, emotional, mental and financial health, and chances to win gift cards and other prizes. During this event, the commissioners will take the first steps in the First Responder Walking Challenge, lead-

ing law enforcement, fire fighter and EMS professionals on a walk around the South Coatesville training campus. Family and friends of emergency responders – plus anyone else who lives or works in Chester County

– is invited to pick a team, register to log their steps, and walk with them.

The WalkWorks ChesCo! First Responder Walking Challenge will run from Saturday, April 7 to Tuesday, June 5. Anyone can become part of the challenge by registering at www. chesco.org/walkworks and joining one of the First Responder teams: #TeamLE,

#TeamEMS or #TeamFIRE.

Due to the generous contributions of companies such as Belfor, a donation will be made to the Chester County Hero Fund at the end of the First Responder Walking Challenge, in the name of the winning emergency responder team. If you would like to add to the Hero Fund contribution, please contact Rebecca

Brain at 610-344-6279 or rbrain@chesco.org.

WalkWorks Chesco! is a program that promotes, educates and empowers Chester County residents to adopt a healthier lifestyle one step at a time by creating more places for walking, supporting and promoting walking groups, coordinating walking challenges – and importantly –

creating a website that allows everyone to track and tally their steps. It is the county’s response to the national Healthiest Cities and Counties Challenge, a two-year competition that empowers cities and counties across the nation to create a positive health impact. If judged the most successful Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge program,

Chester County will receive $500,000 which will be used to further enhance health programs for all county residents.

The Healthiest Cities & Counties Challenge is a partnership established between the Aetna Foundation, the American Public Health Association and the National Association of Counties.