BY THE PHILLIPS WELLNESS 50+ TEAM
It was a bold goal. Phillips elders set out to walk around the world.
Led by Phillips Wellness 50+, a grassroots group of community members working to improve their own health and supporting others in doing the same, about 40 people started the journey.
We were armed with pedometers and bright green shirts, and people joined us along the way. We did a group walk each Tuesday evening and, in between, each person tracked his or her steps and reported their progress.
The motto for the “Phillips Round the World Challenge” is: None of us can walk around the world by ourselves but together we can do anything. And now we have done something big! We achieved our goal of walking around the world. That”'s 35,200,000+ steps. That”'s 17,600 miles (at the 45th parallel)!
On July 31 we gathered at the Center for Changing Lives, 2400 Park Avenue to celebrate our success, do some fun movement and enjoy a meal together.
The Round the World Challenge is just part of Phillips Wellness 50+”'s work.
After the weekly walk, the group gathers for conversation, learning and supporting each other. One week in June, Rachel Von Rudenand Colleen Fritsch from Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging led a Dementia Friends session. Lee Cunningham, attorney and retired pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church, helps community members complete advance care plans, address legal issues and make the most of their money. With the help of nutritionists at The Food Group, we”'ve learned about easy-prep cooking, how to use spices to spark our taste buds and more.
The group is excited about a new partnership with the American Swedish Institute that started in July. Mia Bremer leads “Move with Mia” at the Institute each Friday at 10:00 am. This session, like all Phillips Wellness 50+ activities, is open to everyone.
You”'re always invited to walk with us every Tuesday evening, meeting in the lobby of Ebenezer Tower at 5:00 pm.
In short, Phillips Wellness 50+ is building community. As a result we are all getting more connected and healthier.
Want more information? Contact Donna Nordin at 612-741-5180 or dnordin2@comcast.net.
Phillips Wellness 50+ receives organizing and administrative support from the nonprofit Vital Aging Network (vital-aging-network.org), and the initiative has received funding from Allina Health, HealthPartners and the Bush Foundation Community Innovation Program.
