Valemount Walks around the World has reached its first milestone – the first participant to reach one million steps.
On Saturday, Hollie Blanchette, co-chair of Valemount Healthier Committee, presented Rhonda Nystrom and her dog Casey with a walking stick to honour their achievement.
The walking stick was made by local artist and craftsperson Alison Kubbos, who is perfecting her woodworking skills with Henry Unger. The walking stick is decorated with footprints and paw prints, which may be especially fitting, since Casey has probably walked far more than a million steps with Nystrom. Nystrom says she hopes that Casey won’t use the stick the way a dog usually likes to.
Valemount Walks around the World is a BC Healthy Communities initiative with funding provided by Northern Health. Since May, 87 walkers have joined the initiative, and have walked a total of over 17 million steps – that is 13,210 km so far. Registration is ongoing, and packages can be picked up at the clinic and the library for this ongoing 5 year program.
By: Korie Marshall
