Mayors Wellness Gets a Walking Lead

The Mayors Wellness Campaign was officially introduced to the public this weekend in the form of a first ever Kick Start Walk, a jaunt between downtown parks that included a bit of dynamic stretching thrown in for good measure.

The event featured borough officials and employees exercising together with members of the community in an effort to promote healthy living. In all, about 100 people of various ages and fitness levels turned out for the campaign's first event, a mark Mayor Pat Menna was especially proud of and certain can be built on for future events.

"I think it's terrific. I'm especially glad that the kids are here. They have a lot of enthusiasm," he said. "We had schools participate, the Y is here, churches sent some people down. It just goes to show you what the community can accomplish when people come together."

The crowd began its walk in Marine Park before reaching Front Street and eventually Riverside Gardens where fitness instructor Rick Ivone led the attendees in dynamic stretching. From there the crowd headed back to Marine Park and was greeted with water and healthy snacks. 

Councilman Mike DuPont has spearheaded the Mayors Wellness Campaign since it was introduced earlier this year. The borough has made getting fit and promoting a healthy lifestyle one of its priorities and so far the reaction has been great, he said.

"Out motto is ',' and I think this really demonstrated that philosophy. It really was a community walk," he said. "It shows the commitment from all of Red Bank to getting healthy."