I wrote a column in 2018 and several since about one of my favorite projects ever! Working with partners that included Healthy Rowan, Vulcan Materials, Novant Health, DL Bost Trucking and the United Way, 11 walking/running tracks had been installed at elementary schools in Rowan County and the Daily Mile was underway. During the next year, five more schools would have their tracks and their programs underway.

Healthy Rowan had initiated a program with complete support from Rowan/Salisbury Schools administration to get the kids and staff out of the classroom for 15-20 minutes of activity. The goal was to walk/run a mile a day on a measured track with huge benefits.

This paragraph reprinted from my column of Aug. 5, 2018, just ahead of the school year: Most of the pursuit of the Daily Mile happens outside on gravel walking/running tracks of distances from a tenth to a quarter of a mile. Teachers and administrators have scheduled 15 minutes to cover 5,280 feet. One of the first to get started was Landis Elementary Principal Brooke Zehmer. She said, “The Daily Mile is an important part of our day at Landis Elementary! It offers students and staff time to stretch, move and get energized for the rest of the day. Fresh air and sunshine do wonders for people’s activity levels, mood and ability to attend to tasks, and the Daily Mile is a simple but effective way to ensure our students and staff get the exercise needed for optimum health.”

I had plenty of chances to drive by Landis Elementary since 2018 and the new track was a source of constant activity, just as it should be. Here were just a few of the recognized benefits for the kids per Alyssa Smith Harris, then the Healthy Rowan executive director and now the Rowan County Public Health Director. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, pediatric obesity has been on the rise in children ages 2 to 18 in North Carolina since 2012. The 2018 North Carolina data shows 15 percent of 2- to 4-year-olds, 30.9 percent of 10- to 17-year-olds, and 16.4 percent of high school kids are obese. Not only that, N.C. ranks 16th for adult obesity, and 7th for obesity in teenagers.

Smith Harris said then, “It’s commonly known that obesity can contribute to Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in adults, but it has other implications for children. Not only do kids with obesity often experience bullying and lower self-esteem, but they also experience bone and joint development issues as well. We want to set our kids up to live the longest and healthiest lives possible. It’s unfortunate that the obesity epidemic has become “background noise” to so many because it seems like a daunting and overwhelming issue. One piece of the solution is simple – for all of us, not just kids, to become more active in our daily lives.”   

     Smith Harris added, “I am most excited about “The Daily Mile” because I feel it truly shows the mission of Healthy Rowan – to promote collaboration across agencies to improve health outcomes in Rowan County. The Daily Mile provides accountability that builds on long-standing partnerships from organizations that built the walking tracks for schools. It gives a sort of formalized encouragement for schools to utilize these spaces throughout the school day. I see the program as an excellent outlet for youth to engage in physical activity, but also an opportunity for students to spend time with their peers and teachers outside of an academic setting. One of the more exciting things we have heard about the program is the opportunity for kids to play with friends, to challenge themselves to run a little faster each day, and to have an outlet to get the “wiggles” out. My hope is that children learn that being physically active makes your body and mind feel good. And that they keep that with them throughout their lives.“ There is plenty of data that exercise improves self-esteem, lessens absenteeism and enhances alertness back in the classroom.

With the cooperation of all the above listed partners, we were able to build each of the walking/running tracks and maintain the gravel needs through 2022 when the program began to disappear. At last count, only about four elementary schools are continuing some version of the Daily Mile on a regular basis. No maintenance is being done on the tracks. There is no explanation for the decline. A new wellness committee has been formed to assess needs. I hope they figure out who allowed this valuable program to die, and get it reinstated without delay. There are no worthwhile excuses.

Just three weeks away is the 41^st Annual New Sarum Brewing Winter Flight 8K, 5K and Fun Run. Look for it and other upcoming events at www.salisburyrowanrunners.org.