When the staff members of Wake Robin hear “take a hike,” some of them take it literally and participate in our Summer Walking Challenge. This is an event sponsored by CORE, the employee wellness initiative comprised of staff members from various Wake Robin departments, guided by the Human Resources team.
In the words of our Director of HR, Karen Vincent, “We know that caring for others starts with caring for ourselves. CORE gives our employees meaningful opportunities to focus on their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while building connections with one another. It’s an investment in our employees that ultimately strengthens our entire community.”
The annual format is to announce when the eight-week event will roll out, and which eight of our 19 trails will be included. The trails are maintained by a dedicated team of residents who love the outdoors and bask in the wonderful natural surroundings. The trail group also provides maps for the walkers. This year’s Challenge marked year #12!
Prizes are offered each week such as movie passes, State Park punch cards, and restaurant gift cards. Anyone who completes seven out of eight trails is eligible for the grand prizes that are higher value gifts that everyone can appreciate like gas cards and grocery store gift cards.
Robyn Carnevale, part of Wake Robin’s Human Resources team, coordinates and tracks the walking challenge each year and is a participant herself. “There was more of a concern about ticks this year,” she says, “so we encouraged everyone to be careful and check themselves.” Some departments organize small teams and participate together. You might find a group from Dining Services or Housekeeping enjoying a break from the routine, getting in a few steps, and perhaps coming across squirrels, bobcats, or foxes in their own habitats.
Strolling along trails like Painters Lookout, Garden Path, Flatlander, Apiary Way, or Highland Loop, in the company of friends, and away from your desk…that’s the “challenge!”
