Lighten Up Le Mars 'ups the ante' with Poker Walk

Local participants logged in more than 11,241 hours of activity or 100 hours of activity daily by the end of the four month program. [Click to enlarge]

It was definitely a "full house" when participants of the 2007 "Lighter Up Le Mars" challenge held a "Poker Walk" Thursday.

Over the past four months, 55 local teams were "upping the ante" when it came to making healthier lifestyles choices.

How did things turn out for those taking part in this statewide initiative? According to "Lighten Up Le Mars" coordinators: "All Aces."

"This is the second year in a row that the City of Le Mars, Floyd Valley Hospital, and ISU

Extension has teamed up to offer 'Lighten Up' to residents of Le Mars and Plymouth County," note ISU Extension's Carol Schneider, "and the response has been very positive."

"We've taken the comments from our first-year participants," she explains, "and incorporated that response into how we approached things this year."

What did the people want more of? According to Schneider, education.

"We hosted more 'Lunch and Learn' programs," she offers, "so people can apply healthier lifestyle choices into their everyday lives."

Although "Lighten Up Le Mars" was down a bit in the number of participants, Schneider says in the hours of actual activity, they were way up.

Local participants had recorded more than 11,241 hours of activity or 100 hours of activity daily by the program's end.

Statewide, "Lighten Up Iowa" had more than 3,542 teams with 23,907 participants and more than 73,000 total pounds lost.

The result: a lot of belt-tightening across the Hawkeye State.

"Hopefully, the new lifestyle choices our participants have practiced in the last four months," Schneider says, "will carry them through the rest of 2007."

Winners of special prizes during the "Lighten Up Le Mars" Poker Walk were:

Final celebration prizes

iPod -- Cheri Varenhorst

YMCA membership prize -- Rachel Schoenrock

Sponsor gift bags

ISU Extension -- Becky Letsche (Boot Camp Bunnies)

Floyd Valley Hospital -- JoAnn Johnson (LCS W.E.I.R.D.)

YMCA -- Linda Coulter (LCS W.E.I.R.D.)

An individual incentive prize consisting of a year's supply of Wells' Blue Bunny ice cream went to Jeanie Roberts of the Glam Squad.

A team incentive prize of the Mr. P's "After Five" went to the Fab Eight and its captain Lisa Schnepf.