Dexter Health Coalition Hosts Wellness Walk on Saturday

Members of the Dexter Wellness Coalition are rallying residents to get off the couch and join their friends a neighbors for a healthy walk around Dexter on Saturday.

The Dexter Wellness Walk will kick-off at 9 a.m. in front of the and participants can choose three seperate paths — 1 mile, 2.5 miles and 5 miles — which will take them on a scenic tour of the village.

"The purpose of the wellness walk is just to get people moving in Dexter," Abby Erickson, executive director of the said. "We want to show the community that you don't have to do a lot to get fit, you just need to get moving.

"There's no cost to participate and it's not a race, so we're just looking for people to come and walk with us."

Erickson said the coalition has been hard at work developing a in order to apply for grant funding through the Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation's "Five Healthy Towns" project.

"The coalition has identified several topics we want to promote in Dexter: eating healthier, moving more, creating healthy relationships and avoiding unhealthy substances. This walk is a good start because it covers two of those topics," Erickson said.

Participants are free to walk their selected path at their own pace. The first 100 residents to show up at the library on Saturday will receive a free T-shirt to promote the event.

"In the future, we hope to blanket the town with T-shirts and more people will see and become interested in what we're trying to do," Erickson said.

Coalition member Mark Olexa said the event is a great way to meet neighbors and promote local business efforts, as well.

"We encourage all community members, families and friends to take poart in the first ever Dexter Wellness Walk to helop us all move more and make new friends," he said.

For more information, call the Dexter Chamber at 734-426-0887.