Local residents urged to walk 1KM on Oct. 7

DES MOINES — After a recent Gallup study ranked Iowa as the 19th healthiest state in the nation, Gov. Terry Branstad has launched an initiative to move up the list.

Branstad’s Healthiest State Initiative carries a goal of improving the state’s wellness ranking to the best in the country by 2016.

“Lt. Gov. (Kim) Reynolds and I have set ambitious goals for Iowa, including new jobs, a reduction in government costs and again having the nation’s best schools,” Branstad stated in a release announcing the initiative. “However, achieving these goals will not happen unless we as Iowans take care of our bodies and our healthy well-being … making Iowa the healthiest state in the nation is not only critical to the economic viability of our state, but also critical to the quality of life for all Iowans.”

As part of the initiative, Iowans are being asked to participate in the Start Somewhere Walk.

The 1-kilometer walk, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7, will take place in communities throughout the state, including Red Oak.

Montgomery County’s Health Department, along with the Montgomery County YMCA, Montgomery County Memorial Hospital, Hy-Vee, and Fareway are coordinating the event, which will take place between 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

“While the walk will only take a few minutes, we scheduled it for 2 hours so people can fit it into their lunch break,” Health Department Administrator Sue Drake said. “We want to show a number to Governor Branstad that says ‘wow, we did this in Montgomery County.’”

One-kilometer courses have been mapped downtown around the square, at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital and at the YMCA, both outside and in, in case of inclement weather. The YMCA will also be conducting its  first Soupfest of the year. Soup will be served from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., free of charge.

Copies of the maps are available at the YMCA and the Red Oak Chamber and Industry Association office.

In order to track the number of people participating in the event, everyone is being asked to register by calling the Health Department at 623-4893 or by going online to www.startsomewherewalk.com.

For more information on the Healthiest State Initiative, go to www.iowahealthieststate.com.