|
By Angela Voht
How excited can you get about walking? Wildly enthusiastic, if you’re a part of the “Walk Across Canada” wellness initiative that has got UVic staff walking from Victoria to major cities all over Canada—that’s virtual walking of course.
While pedometer-based walking programs are the hub of many wellness programs across corporate North America, the UVic initiative, spearheaded by Student and Ancillary Services, has departments on a walking spree that has brought 175 staff members on 16 teams together, having fun around common goals while creating important dialogue around wellness.
While some teams have finished, others are still wending their virtual way across the country, and you can track their progress on the web at http://stas.uvic.ca/staff/walking/.
“It’s been really good for our office,” says Michelle Maynard of Housing, Food and Conference Services. “Our manager, Gavin Quiney, really stepped up and got involved and his enthusiasm and support fired everyone up that much more.” That enthusiasm—plus an early start—is what got the team on the virtual road to St. Johns and back by April 16—well ahead of the other teams.
Upon reaching each capital city, departments held celebratory draws with prize winners receiving small tokens of appreciation for their involvement. The website heralded the walkers’ arrival in each city too, with geographic and cultural facts, even including the howl of wolves welcoming them to Whitehorse, Yukon.
Sara Wegwitz from the Health Services team gained insight into the way that team spirit increases a sense of community at work. “Some of us even got family members getting their own workplaces involved. It was really a fun event that we all enjoyed and benefited from.”
The UVic initiative was coordinated by Julie Sanders of Career Services.
|
