Originally scheduled for January, Powell River District Wellness Challenge has been moved to April in order to partner with a speaker forum.
Launched in conjunction with Powell River Wellness Speaker Forum (formerly Rx Wellness) in April, forum attendees will be able to sign up for the challenge at the event.
“Spring was the perfect timing [for the challenge],” said project organizer Kerri Carlson, “combined with the fresh start of warm weather and rejuvenation.”
The wellness challenge was formulated as a response to the My Community, My Health survey released in July, which identified Powell River as having one of the highest rates of obesity across the Vancouver Coastal Health region.
The goal of the challenge is to demonstrate the wellness of a community can be improved through a combination of citizen engagement, education and program accessibility.
“We want to provide opportunities for all residents,” said challenge chair and Nourish Yoga and Wellness Studio owner Terri Cramb, “to get support to take the first step to improve their health.”
The initiative brings City of Powell River and Powell River Regional District together with various community groups and businesses to provide opportunities for individuals and families to be more active.
Ron Woznow, Verna J. Kirkness Education Foundation chair, presented the initiative to councillors at a city committee of the whole meeting this fall, basing the idea off of a pilot project he ran in Ontario in 2009.
Individuals participating in the project will have their blood pressure, heart rate, flexibility and balance tested. The confidential results will be provided to participants.
“What we want to accomplish is very simple,” said Woznow. “The [project] is designed to show with a little encouragement, individuals will make lifestyle changes that improve their state of wellness.”
Readers interested in learning more about Powell River District Wellness Challenge can contact Kerri Carlson at 604.838.7653 or prdistrictwellness@gmail.com.
Exact dates for April’s Powell River Wellness Speaker Forum have yet to be set, however a free Powell River Wellness Fair is scheduled from 1-5 pm, Saturday, January 16, at Nourish Yoga & Wellness Studio.
The event is a chance to meet local health practitioners from Powell River Healing Collective offering acupuncture, massage, nutrition, herbalism, chiropractics and more. It also features a series of wellness talks and demonstrations by donation. For more information call Marie Eve Barnes at 604.414.9772.
