Sunny skies and 50-degree temperatures greeted runners and walkers Saturday morning in the third annual Dallas County Hospital and Live Healthy Iowa five-kilometer walk and run.
About 60 entrants warmed up with DCH Public Relations Manager Macinzie McFarland, stretching legs and shaking shoulders, before they gathered at the starting line, where DCH Foundation manager Matt Crooks blew an air horn to start the event about 8 a.m.
Live Healthy Iowa is a program of the Iowa Sports Foundation, a non-profit organization located in Ames. The program was created as a strategic health initiative to address the state’s growing obesity problem.
Perry is one of 16 Iowa towns hosting the annual 5K and 1K treks. Proceeds benefit the local wellness coalitions in partner communities as well as Live Healthy Iowa Kids initiatives. The partnership “brings together friends, families, businesses and communities in team-based wellness challenges designed to promote positive lifestyle change,” according to Live Healthy Iowa.
Since 2002, Live Healthy Iowa has helped more than 308,000 participants shed more than 1 million pounds and log nearly 600 million minutes of physical activity through its annual 10 Week Wellness Challenge.
