Big Green Gym Challenge ends Saturday

Marquette is competing with two other michigan communities for public health and wellness grant money, and the competition is in the home stretch.

Marquette is part of the Michigan Big Green Gym Challenge.

The city is competing with Kalamazoo and Grand Traverse County to see whose residents get the most cumulative physical activity.

“This is the final week, so if you think about a track and field race, you can run a great 400-meter dash, but it really comes down to what you do across that finish line,” Marquette assistant director of community services Jon Swenson said.

Marquette is currently in the lead, and it’s been leading the eight-week challenge for most of the way.

All three communities will receive grant money after the challenge, “and it continues through Saturday, the 22nd, so any miles logged on the 22nd go toward our total,” Swenson said. “This is a great opportunity for the community to get people out, get them motivated and get them active.”

How much money each area receives depends on how much exercise its residents get.

The winner will receive $10,000.

If you’d like to sign up for the challenge and help the city’s effort, here’s how:

– Log on to www.walkingworks.com and click “SIGN UP”.

– For your plan, select “Michigan Blue Cross and Blue Shield”.

– For your group, select “2013 MI Big Green Gym – Blues Community Challenge”.

– Select “Team Marquette” under the team list.

– Log your daily activity on the website through Saturday.