Like the 2008 Fitness Challenge, the second annual Fitness Challenge was a huge success! Over 500 people signed-up and weighed-in on January 10, 2009, at the Veterans' Memorial at 72 Bank Street in downtown Fall River. "Over forty people were already lined up when the doors to the gymnasium opened at 10:00 a.m., and they just kept coming," remarked Community Development Recreation (CD-REC) director Grace Gerling. Participants were treated to a complete Wellness Fair that included tables with information on the B.O.L.D. Coalition, the Children in Balance program, the Diabetes Association, Inc. (DAI), the Fall River Municipal Employee Wellness program, the Fall River YMCA, the Family Service Association, HealthFirst Family Care Center, Healthy City Fall River, Healthy Lives, Heritage State Park, Kool Smiles, Saint Anne's Hospital, Southcoast Hospitals, the Tobacco Control program, Where is the Workout?, and the WIC program. Participants could even get a free back massage from Studio Vogue Salon and Day Spa. Click here for the Herald News article about the weigh-in. Click here to see photos from the January 7th news conference. Click here for the Channel 10 report. Information and instructions on how to participate can be found at www.FallRiverFitnessChallenge.com.

(Top row, left) Ray Mazzarella and sisters Barbara St. Pierre and Cindy Cabral sign-in at the registration table. (Top row, center) Julie Colum is weighed-in by fitness instructor Amy Jones at the Fitness Challenge weigh-in. (Top row, right) Mark Kruger, contestant in last year’s NBC’s Biggest Loser television program, talks with Carleen Estrella and her daughter Brittney. (Middle row, left) Juan Sanchez and Romeo Ravancho of Fall River sign in for the Fitness Challenge at the registration desk. (Middle row, center) A long line forms at the Fitness Challenge weigh-in as over 500 people register for the four-month weight-loss and fitness event. (Middle row, right) Karen Silva and Grace Diaz of the Diabetes Association describe their services to one of the participants. (Bottom row, left) Andrea McShane, Kerrie Larkin and Angie Jennings look over the calendar of events in the packets they received at the Fitness Challenge weigh-in. (Bottom row, center) WSAR Radio personality Ric Oliveira interviews CD-REC director Grace Gerling during a live broadcast from the Weigh-in. (Bottom row, right) Nancy Topelewski of Fall River gives an enthusiastic cheer for her decision to join this year’s Fitness Challenge.