The Recreation Economy Committee (REC) of the Cambria Regional Chamber, in partnership with the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health, will begin “WalkWorks Wednesdays” on Wednesday, June 16th at 12 pm. The meeting location will be at the WalkWorks sign on the corner of Main St. and Market Street near the Cambria County Library. Anyone living, working, or visiting downtown Johnstown is welcome to come out and join this informal walking group, which will provide a great opportunity for participants to get exercise, meet new people, and share ideas.
Johnstown’s WalkWorks route takes walkers on a 1.8 mile stretch that includes many scenic and historic highlights, including the Stone Bridge, the Johnstown Flood Museum and the Iron to Arts Corridor. There is also a shorter 1 mile option of the route that will be used. Prior to the pandemic, REC worked in coordination with the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health and City of Johnstown to create the WalkWorks route. View a map of the WalkWorks Johnstown route here.
“Our hope is that Walk Works Johnstown will bring people together to create a local walking community that supports each other in the spirit of wellness and a shared bright vision for our city,” says Leanna Bird, a member of the REC committee and Project Manager for the 1889 Jefferson Center for Population Health.
Johnstown’s route is part of the statewide WalkWorks program, a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Funding for WalkWorks is provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health through the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant and the State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, both from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“What a lot of folks might not realize is that Johnstown was initially chosen as the pilot city during the inception of WalkWorks,” says Mike Cook, professional development coordinator with In-Shore Technologies and chairman of the Chamber’s REC Committee. “The program went through a bit of a revision since then, so it is great that Johnstown was once again chosen to be a participant in WalkWorks. Hopefully, this program helps to encourage city residents to be proactive about their well-being and encourage them to positively impact their overall health.”
“We are very thankful to the REC for their work on this project,” says Amy Bradley, President and CEO of the Cambria Regional Chamber. “Not only does it help people improve their health, it also showcases many of the wonderful points of interest in our city. It will be a great route for residents and visitors to enjoy.”
The summer “WalkWorks Wednesdays” session will run for 10 weeks until August 18th. The session will follow the most up-to-date CDC Covid guidelines. Masks are not required for those who are fully vaccinated.
Anyone interested in learning more about WalkWorks Wednesdays or sharing ideas can visit www.crchamber.com/adventure, call 814-535-5156 (ext 3) or email leanna.bird@jefferson.edu or michael.cook@inshoretech.com for more information.