Winners Crowned For East Meets West Workplace Walking Challenge

After six weeks of putting their collective best feet forward, two companies came out kicking for their respective sides in the inaugural 2019 “East Meets West” Workplace Walking Challenge. Local kickboard and scooter distributor Micro Kickboard of Grand Rapids clinched its second victory for the west side of the state, with 114,426 average steps per employee. Insurance agency Hylant Group of Ann Arbor claimed top honors for the east side, with 73,435 average steps per employee.

113 companies across the state laced up for good health and some friendly rivalry for the 2019 “East Meets West” Workplace Walking Challenge (www.workplacewalkingchallenge.com), taking nearly 1 BILLION COLLECTIVE STEPS. In its third year, 2019 marks the first year the annual business-to-business competition expanded its footprint to include Metro Detroit and beyond.

In total, 4,938 participants walked 498,493 miles over the six-week period from April 22 – June 2, with 46 individuals passing the 1 million steps mark. One of these high steppers was Craig Foote of Allegan Tubular Products, Inc., whose very name may have foreshadowed his high-stepping destiny.

Powered by global recognition provider Terryberry (www.terryberry.com), the Workplace Walking Challenge is designed to help companies make wellness a priority among employees by highlighting the benefits of everyday activity. And for the third year, a percentage of proceeds from the challenge will benefit the American Heart Association (AHA), which champions walking/movement as vital to overall health, particularly heart health.

During the June 14 awards presentation held at Frederick Meijer Gardens, Terryberry recognized some special achievements:

TOP INDIVIDUAL STEPPERS

• EAST: Susan Street, Orlans PC, Troy, MI – 1,263,930 steps. That’s more than 560 miles … or like waking from Troy to Annapolis, MD!
• WEST: Chad Vendeville, Allegan Tubular Products, Inc. – 2,029,635 steps. Our first ever 2+ million stepper! That’s the equivalent of 902 miles … or a stroll from Allegan to Charleston, SC!
• EAST: Criteo – average weekly step improvement of 13,389
• WEST: Allegan Tubular Products, Inc. – average weekly step improvement of 26,180

MOST IMPROVED COMPANY

COMPANY WITH MOST CREATIVE SOCIAL MEDIA POST: Applied Imaging

So how did they do it? Here’s just a small snapshot of how employees and employers came together with creative ways to bolster organization wellness and increase their steps through the Workplace Walking Challenge:

• Carried their groceries in one bag at a time
• Parked their car in furthest spot from door
• Walked or marched at their desks vs. sitting down
• Created internal teams to help motivate
• Scheduled walking meetings
• Held walking lunches
• Gathered with colleagues to walk before work

“We continue to be amazed by the level of engagement and creativity in the business community,” said Mike Byam, Terryberry’s Managing Partner. “West Michigan has shown its commitment to promoting company wellness over the last three years of the Workplace Walking Challenge, and we are thrilled that organizations from the east side of the state have taken up the challenge. We can’t wait to see what next year brings.”

Save the date for the 2020 Workplace Walking Challenge: April 20th – May 31st. Head to www.workplacewalkingchallenge.com to get your company signed up today.