La Porte Mayor Blair Milo happily exchanged her professional attire for a pair of sneakers and running pants Friday afternoon when she led more than 100 of her constituents in the city’s first Fitness Friday event.
Featuring a 5K run and walk that starts and ends at the La Porte County Family YMCA on Michigan Avenue, Fitness Fridays will take place each Friday at 4 p.m. through September. Milo said she got the idea from the organized weekly runs held in Arlington, Va., where she lived for a time.
“I thought it was a great idea,” Milo said Friday outside the YMCA, just before the run began. “It has just bloomed from there.”
The mayor’s office partnered with the La Porte County Family YMCA and IU Health La Porte Hospital to organize Fitness Fridays.
“We are in the business of health care and wellness, so we wanted to make sure we were at the table,” said Maria Fruth, COO of the IU Health La Porte Hospital Foundation.
The goal of Fitness Fridays is to encourage individuals in the community to participate in a healthy activity on a weekly basis.
“The idea is to get up and get moving at your own fitness level,” said Cindy Berchem, executive director of the La Porte County Family YMCA.
The scenic 5K route starts at the YMCA in downtown La Porte at the intersection of Maple and Michigan avenues, ventures by the historic homes and down the tree-lined streets of Michigan Avenue, and passes through Beechwood Golf Course before returning to the YMCA. Participants are invited to run or walk as much of the course as they are able to.
In addition to the 5K run and walk, Zumba fitness – a combination of dance and aerobics set to music – is offered in the rear parking lot of the YMCA prior to the run.
“It gives people variety,” Zumba instructor Danielle Kessler said. “[Fitness Fridays] allows anyone, from the beginner to the most advanced, something to participate in.”
Registration for Fitness Fridays is free and open to everyone. A registration table will be set up outside the YMCA each Friday before the run begins. Participants who register for 10 Fitness Fridays will receive a free T-shirt courtesy of IU Health La Porte Hospital.