Penhold residents have a chance to help make their community a healthier place by joining the healthy living team.
Tara Wells, the community services manager for Penhold, is resurrecting the team which was started a couple of years ago.
The group is a "work in progress" with an initial meeting held on March 12, but people can join if they've missed the first meeting.
"We're pretty open," Wells, said. "Just show up and be passionate."
She is hoping to attract youth to the group but emphasized it was for all ages of Penhold residents.
"It's not just for youth, it's for everybody," she said.
Wells described the group as "an action focus planning team."
"We're dedicated to creating and sustaining a healthy community," she said.
Wells is hoping the group will take on projects like the 21-day challenge which was an initiative when the first healthy living team started in Penhold. Teams of five recorded their activity minutes for a three-week period and then had a party with prizes at the end. A fun run or walk and other activities that encourage healthy choices could be on the horizon.
Wells said another desired outcome is encouraging groups to follow Penhold's policy of "eat smart, meet smart," which suggests people meeting in the community have at least one healthy food option.
The priorities of the group will be to encourage healthy living, getting critical hours of activity and healthy eating, Wells said.
According to Wells the vision of the group is "to provide community environments that reduce barriers to healthy living by making the healthy choice the easy choice for children, youth and families."
The healthy living team is a subcommittee creation of the Penhold Community Action Group, Wells said. Penhold is part of a larger coalition of communities encouraging healthy living.
Penhold helped create the coalition by offering initial seed grants to other communities when the healthy living team first started.
Four members have been recruited so far but Wells is hoping more people decide to participate. There is no application process for the group, all people need is an interest. After the initial setup sessions the group will probably meet once a month.
To get more information on the healthy living team or to find out when the next meeting is, contact Wells at 403-886-3287.
"Let's see if we can make this happen," Wells said.
