By Kristina Alnajjar, Grants Program Assistant
Mainly supported by the timber and mining industries, Colville is a town known for friendly residents and vibrant green neighborhoods. It is located in Stevens County, 10 miles from the Columbia River. With just under 5,000 people living in the city, it is easy to get to know neighbors, which is apparent to any visitors coming through. Unfortunately, the town is plagued with high rates of diabetes, arthritis, and other weight related diseases.
In 2007, a community group named Get Fit Colville, pledged to “get Colville fit.” And that is just what they have done. Led by Barry Bacon, MD, and Kimberley LaDuke, Colville Fitness Center Manager, the group is engaging Colville with 3 working principles; eat whole foods, live an active lifestyle, and set long-term health goals. Get Fit Colville is one of our Healthiest State Grant partners and we are happy to see the community rally together to make change.
In a recent visit to Colville, Dr. Bacon told me about the commitment it takes to improve a community’s health. “Improving the health of our community depends on all of us. It is bigger than our individual choices because it incorporates the choices of our schools, hospitals, employers, grocery stores, and of our city planners. But, we are in control of our individual choices—so we help people start there.” With local partners in the City, Chamber of Commerce, radio station (KCRK 92.1FM) and Providence Mount Carmel Hospital and more, the group has close ties throughout the community.
Participants pay $5 to join. To track their progress participants measure their weight and body mass indexes, receive readings on their cholesterol levels, LDL, HDL, glucose levels, and triglyceride levels, and most importantly learn what those readings mean. They are given materials to guide them through changing their lifestyles and preparing healthy meals. Last year, over 800 people participated in this year long commitment. If you are interested in signing up, contact Colville Fitness Center.
The 3rd Annual Kickoff was held on June 18th and highlighted the success of the previous year. There was much to celebrate and featured video testimonials of the 5 participants who took part in the Extreme Health Makeover, a subset of the main group. Their challenge was tougher. As Kimberley LaDuke told me, “We removed any barrier or excuse for this selected group. The Extreme Health Makeover provided them with free gym membership, nutritionist consultation, weekly personal trainings, and weekly health meetings. We wanted to provide lots of information and hold people accountable for their progress.”
This year, there are 11 Extreme Health Makeover participants. Participant Carrie Shannon Kitzmiller attended last year’s kickoff and was so inspired she decided to get involved. She will be chronicling her progress through the year on her personal blog called Mommy Brain.
Each year, Get Fit Colville gets more creative, providing incentives and other sources of motivation for participants who want to live a healthier life. This year they started a pound for pound program. They are currently recruiting more local businesses to buy a pound of food for the food banks for every pound lost by community members. What a great idea!
Comments