The Healthy City Fall River WALKS project held its second walk on May 8, 2007, at the HealthFirst Family Care Center on County Street in the Flint. Forty-seven walkers walked up County Street to Lafayette Park and returned on Pleasant Street. The series of walks highlights some of the walking routes throughout the city that have been identified on the Healthy City web site by a task force on walking. The first twenty-five walkers at each location received a t-shirt, a pedometer and a water bottle. “Fall River has an abundance of excellent walking routes,” commented Healthy City Coordinator David S. Weed, Psy.D. “This project encourages people of all ages to take advantage of these routes by walking often." The project also encourages physicians and other medical providers to prescribe walking along with medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other conditions that can be reduced or eliminated with regular exercise. Click here to see the kick-off walk at the Fall River YMCA on May 7th. Click here to see last year's HealthFirst kick-off walk. For more information, contact Dr. Weed at 508-324-2411.
 

(Top row, left) Walkers pick out their t-shirts before the walk in the parking lot of the HealthFirst Family Care Center. (Top row, right) Walkers check out their Healthy City Fall River pedometers used to track their activity levels. (Top row, right) HealthFirst staff members Connie Melanson, Nancy Hankins and Peg Marchand listen as Healthy City Coordinator Dave Weed describes new bulletin boards that will be set up at the walking routes around the city later this summer. (Middle row, left) Fall River Director of Health and Human Services Michael Coughlin and Chairman of the Health First Board of Directors Gene P. Alves head out on the walking route with Linda Hennessey of HealthFirst close behind. (Middle row, center) Walkers warm-up with exercises led by Julie McGuinn of Curves for Women on Tucker Street. (Bottom row, left) Joe Clarkson watches walkers pass by on Pleasant Street. (Bottom row, center) Jeannine Bedard and Geri White, right, from Curves pose at the conclusion of the walk. (Bottom row, right) Del Mello holds her raffle ticket hoping to win a free Work Out World membership. Sponsors of the walks included the Community Foundation of SE MA, Diabetes Association, the Fall River YMCA, General Fitness, HealthFirst Family Care Center, Pereira's Medical Uniform Depot, Southcoast Hospitals and St. Anne’s Hospital.