Corporate Recreation Manager Ashley Wakefield detailed the challenge to Richardson City Council during the Dec. 16 meeting.
How it works
The Healthier Texas Community Challenge, which was previously called It’s Time Texas Community Challenge, is an eight-week health competition between communities. The challenge is free to participate in and runs from Jan. 13-March 9. Texans who participate will earn points by eating healthy, being active and staying hydrated.
Participants can earn points in a number of ways, including reporting healthy eating, physical activity and water consumption. Additionally, anyone who signs up before the challenge starts will be awarded 250 points and everyone who signs up will receive 500 points when they report their first health action.
Each week, individual participants will have a chance to win a prize and at the end of the competition, winning communities and school districts will be celebrated and recognized, Wakefield said.
The city will offer several activities such as a free walk or run at Huffhines Park on Jan. 25 beginning at 9 a.m. and free group classes in city facilities including yoga, dance fitness, nutritional and cooking, drum cardio and functional fitness, according to city documents.
Looking back
Wakefield said last year Richardson residents accrued 1.3 million points with 185 individual participants. Additionally, Wakefield said Richardson parks and other facilities had 1,035 check-ins, meaning visits, through the challenge.
“We’re definitely looking to increase because we have beautiful parks to offer in our city,” Wakefield said.
Statewide, 362 communities participated in the challenge last year.
Quote of note
“[Richardson does] a good job of staying in the top 10 or top 15, but we can do better,” council member Jennifer Justice said.
