Mayor Karl Dean challenges community to “Walk 100 Miles” towards a healthier lifestyle
NASHVILLE – Mayor Karl Dean today challenged Nashville residents to join him in walking 100 miles from April 2 to July 9, as part of an initiative to promote and build a culture of wellness in the community.
Dean announced the “Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor” challenge at a midday event downtown on the plaza at the Fifth Third building. The program includes 28 separate walking events throughout Metro Nashville’s parks and greenways as well as State of Tennessee-owned properties Radnor Lake and Bicentennial Mall. Challenge participants can walk with Mayor Dean during these events or on their own.
Anyone can register to participate in the Walk 100 Miles challenge by visiting www.Walk100Miles.com. The website includes a tool for individuals to track the miles they have walked and a citywide pedometer that will display the collective miles walked over the course of the three-month challenge.
“I hope that thousands of Nashvillians will join us and either walk with me or walk their neighborhoods, parks and greenways on their own during the spring and summer – and meet the challenge of walking 100 miles,” Dean said. “Getting more active and being healthier will benefit them and our entire city.”
“Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor” is presented by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the state’s largest health insurer and an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.
“At BlueCross, we know that a daily routine of brisk-paced walking can help avoid serious health problems like heart disease, osteoporosis, Type 2 diabetes and other conditions associated with obesity,” said Vicky Gregg, CEO of BlueCross. “Through our WalkingWorks for Schools and WalkingWorks program, we’re already encouraging our state’s elementary students and our own BlueCross members to develop regular walking routines. Now we’re proud to Walk 100 Miles with Mayor Dean and ask all in Nashville to join us in the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle.”
As part of the event, Dean announced a brand for Nashville that celebrates the spirit in our city that creates healthy, active and green places. The brand will highlight the many opportunities – such as a greenways, community gardens or bike lanes – available for Nashville residents to enjoy and encourage them to live healthy lives. The campaign will also inspire Nashvillians to join their neighbors and the city in further creating a vibrant Nashville that helps make the healthy choice the easy choice where they live, work, play and worship.
The brand is a collaboration between the Metro Public Health Department, the Office of the Mayor and multiple community stakeholders. It is funded by the Health Department’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant awarded to Nashville by the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
MPHD and the Mayor’s office will highlight the brand extensively in the coming year to celebrate what it means to live well in Nashville.
“This 100-mile challenge is the next step in an ongoing effort to make Nashville a healthier city. Already we are adding more sidewalks in our community and promoting the opportunities in our parks and greenways. Now, we can get out there together, have some fun and embrace healthy living in the community,” said Dean.
The first walk is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 2, beginning at the amphitheater at Bicentennial Mall. Walks will be held each weekend and on selected weekdays through Saturday, July 9. “Walk 100 Miles” locations include a combination of paved and natural trails and will increase in distance from two to 10 miles throughout the challenge.
WALK 100 MILES WITH THE MAYOR SCHEDULE
Saturday April 2 11 a.m. Bicentennial Mall Park
Saturday April 9 11:30 am Cane Ridge Park
Wednesday April 13 5:30 pm Fort Negley
Saturday April 16 2:30 pm Centennial Park
Wednesday April 20 5:30 pm MetroCenter Levee
Saturday April 23 10 am Seven Mile Creek
Wednesday April 27 5:30 pm Hadley Park
Sunday May 1 2 pm Whites Creek
Wednesday May 4 5:30 pm East Bank/Shelby Bridge
Sunday May 8 3 pm Radnor Lake – Lake Trail
Tuesday May 10 5:30 pm Ezell Park
Saturday May 14 10 am Peeler Park
Thursday May 19 5:30 pm Harpeth Woods Trail
Sunday May 22, 2 pm Downtown Art Walk
Thursday May 26, 5:30 pm Mill Creek -Blue Hole Road
Saturday May 28, 1 pm Bells Bend
Tuesday May 31, 5:30 pm Harpeth River Walk
Saturday June 4, 10 am Beaman Park Ridgetop Trail
Wednesday June 8, 5:30 pm Downtown to MetroCenter
Saturday June 11, 9 am Warner Park-Mossy Ridge Trail
Tuesday June 14, 5:30 pm Stones River (Two Rivers to Stones River Bridge)
Saturday June 18, 9 am Richland Creek
Wednesday June 22, 5:30 pm Shelby Bottoms Cornelia Fort Trail
Saturday June 25, 9 am Harpeth River Greenway
Tuesday June 28, 5:30 pm Stones River (Heartland Park to Stone Hall)
Saturday July 2, 8 am Stones River (Percy Priest Dam to Stone Hall)
Thursday July 7, 5:30 pm Edwin Warner Park
Saturday July 9, 8 am Shelby Bottoms
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