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Healthiest State Walk goal achieved: Iowans Walk in All 99 Counties

Deb Peska, Toledo Healthy Lifestyles Center service specialist (second from right) gestures as the Healthiest State Walk got underway at the Toledo City Park on Wednesday, Oct. 7. The walk is conducted annually here. Chronicle Photos/Allison Graham
LEFT- This group was part of those taking a Healthy State Walk” in Toledo on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Organized by Deb Peska, Toledo Healthy Lifestyles service specialist, the event was held at the Toledo City Park adjacent to Toledo Heights.

DESMOINESIowans in every county of the state today voted with their feet in support of the Healthiest State Initiative, marking the first time in the Healthiest State Walk’s five-year history that organized walks were held in all of Iowa’s 99 counties.

“The annual Healthiest State Walk is a great opportunity for Iowans to show their continuing support for Iowa to become the healthiest state in the nation,” said Jeff Russell, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa and co-chair of the 2015 Healthiest State Walk. “More than 1.1 million Iowans have participated in the previous four walks, and this year we wanted our focus to be on statewide participation with the goal of having organized walks in every Iowa county.”

Russell said that the Healthiest State Initiative partnered with the State Fire Marshal Division to engage Iowans throughout the state. “With this year’s theme of ‘Walk at the Whistle,’ we encouraged schools, communities and businesses to coordinate walks with fire drills to increase awareness of fire safety and a healthier Iowa.”Those efforts, including support from Live Healthy Iowa, helped lead to more than 970 walks throughout the state and in all 99 Iowa counties.