Persistent healthy influences from the Sports Committee

QC Sports Committee event leaders, Jim Graham (left, HealthyMe Program) and Doug Sakal (right, Sports Run and Sports Committee Chair) look forward to even more fitness event participation in the coming years.

QC Sports Committee event leaders, Jim Graham (left, HealthyMe Program) and Doug Sakal (right, Sports Run and Sports Committee Chair) look forward to even more fitness event participation in the coming years.

Dreama Fumia

Our Quail Creek Sports Committee does its best to influence a healthy lifestyle for our residents. Let’s take a moment to recognize the efforts of the committee and to express appreciation for the long-term leadership of the committee. The committee has had varied roles in the past but currently is focused on two major events each year, so let’s highlight these.

One major event that has just concluded for 2015 is the HealthyMe program – a 10-week program to encourage healthy choices that promote a full and active lifestyle for our residents. It offered weekly meetings featuring speakers on such topics as diabetes prevention, personal trainers and sports massage, fueling your workout and fall prevention. A weekly e-newsletter provided fitness tips, recipes and motivational articles. Each participant was encouraged to set personal health goals and to track them with help from committee members supporting the program. At the conclusion of the program, many participants reported favorable results and credited the program for the healthy lifestyle changes they had made.

The next HealthyMe program is slated for January of 2017, that’s right, nearly a year away. But, it’s not too soon to plan to take advantage of this wonderful program when it is offered again. The HealthyMe program continues to be ably led by Jim Graham, with help from committee members Peggy McGee, Carol Mutter, Janice Swain, Kathy Alves, Shirley Kuhl, Laurie Brown, Jim Emery, MD and Anza instructors Karen Baker, Bridget Lehmann, Anza Director Cindy Mayhle and other fitness experts within our community. Of course, Sports Committee Chair Doug Sakal offers his help as well. Speaking of Doug and moving on to the second major event—.

For the past eleven years the Sports Committee has organized our annual Quail Creek Sports Run held on the last Saturday in February. In 2016 the Sports Committee will host its twelfth run event – a 5K run and 2K walk/dog walk on February 27. This year the event will be the combined effort of the Sports Committee (Doug Sakal, Lea Hoffman, Anita Fisk, Jim Emery), our Banquets Director Epi Torres, our Activities Coordinator Colleen Aldridge and Race Director Joe Cuffari. Doug will lead the Sports Committee and other volunteers to pull together many of the day’s activities. There are a lot of moving parts to this event and Doug keeps all parts well-coordinated. If you’d like to volunteer to help out at this event, either in the planning or just on race day, please contact Doug Sakal at [email protected]. If you are interested in participating in the 5K run (competitive event) or 2K walk/dog walk (just for fun!), watch for entry form details in What’s Happening. Proceeds from this event will benefit The Animal League of Green Valley and the Green Valley – Sahuarita Community Food Bank.