WEST PALM BEACH, FL- The statewide initiative, Step Up Florida, promoting physical activity will reach Palm Beach County Friday, February 18 and Saturday February 19 with a number of activities planned for participants as the flag makes its way through the area.

    The morning of February 18 the fitness flag will be passed from Broward County to Palm Beach and brought to Verde Elementary in Boca Raton to kick off the day’s activities with their fitness and wellness program. Palm Beach County Health Department Director Jean Malecki, M.D., said, “Our County has many opportunities to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. These students are a great way to showcase where to begin.”

    From Verde the flag will move to Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton. Beginning at 10:00 AM Boca Raton Community Hospital along with other dignitaries will be hosting a walk and distributing healthy information for one hour. Simultaneously, in West Palm Beach, a walk will begin from the Health Department Building at 826 Evernia and follow a route north on Rosemary and east on Clematis Street to Centennial Square downtown.

    Walkers and others arriving at Centennial Square will be greeted at 11:00 AM with opportunities to sign up for door prizes, low impact aerobic exercises by the YMCA, information tables on exercise and nutrition and some surprise gift bags. 11 organizations will be presented with Physical Activity Excellence Awards and everyone will be asked to participate in Dr. Malecki’s High Noon Challenge for the coveted Green Shoe Award.

    Throughout the day county businesses are being asked to give their employees time to take a break to stretch, eat a nutritional snack of fruit or vegetables and get involved in a physical activity that will benefit their health. Malecki said, “Exercise should be fun and can be as simple as parking a little farther away and walking to a door or using the stairs instead of an elevator--- it’s only limited by ones imagination.”

    Saturday, February 19 the flag will move from Boca Raton to Jupiter during a special day of bicycling before it is passed on to Martin County. At 8:30 AM a select group of riders will begin the trek to the north county line led by Randy Scheid, President of the Safe Bicycling Coalition. At 9:00 AM persons interested in participating in a fun 12.6 mile ride along A1A from Ocean Reef Park on Singer Island to Jupiter’s Lighthouse Park should assemble at Ocean Reef Park on Singer Island where beginning at 9:30 AM the ride will begin. All riders should arrive in Jupiter about 11:00 AM where refreshments and the passing of the flag will take place.
“This ride should be fun for everyone. It has some beautiful scenery along the ocean and winds its way through Macarthur Park,” said Malecki. “I understand there are even some people who will be running the distance and leaving Ocean Reef Park at 8:30 AM so they too can arrive at Jupiter Lighthouse by 11:00.”

    Other Florida counties will host similar events throughout February. A website provides a map of the events, a chronological look at the progress each day and highlight the distance covered by each leg. For more information on “Step Up, Florida” visit the DOH website at www.doh.state.fl.us or contact the Palm Beach County Health Department 561-540-1300.

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