With kids back to school after summer vacation, life is starting to settle into routine. Help keep daily physical activity a part of your family's schedule and win some great prizes by joining in on the Healthy Families BC Walking Challenge.

You and your family can map walks and share personal experiences online during the Healthy Families BC Walking Challenge. The more posts you and your family enter, the more chances you have to win some great prizes like pedometers, family packs or the grand prize of one of six family trips to popular destinations throughout British Columbia.

By registering your walks you can help your community win big, too. Halfway through the challenge Trail, Vernon and Kelowna have all won 50 soccer balls. Williams Lake, Hazelton, Coquitlam, Langford, Oak Bay and Victoria have all won 100 pedometers. Your community could be next.

At the end of the challenge, grand prizes of cash totalling $100,000 will also be awarded. The top five communities in their population-size category with the most submissions will each receive $10,000 to support the development of walking trails.

One of the five winning communities will also be randomly drawn to receive an additional $50,000. Currently, the top five communities are Tumbler Ridge, Quesnel, Oak Bay, Victoria and Saanich.

Since the launch of the Healthy Families BC Walking Challenge on Aug. 8, almost 1,300 entries from 171 communities have been logged online. The six-week challenge ends Monday, Sept. 19 - so get out there, map your walks and enter to win some great prizes for your family and your community.

The Healthy Families BC Walking Challenge is offered in collaboration with 2010 Legacies Now and funded by the Provincial Health Service Authority as part of the Healthy Families BC initiative of the BC Ministry of Health.

Quick Facts:

• B.C. has the highest physical activity rates for youth and adults compared to other provinces and territories across Canada.
• The direct and indirect cost of physical inactivity in our province is estimated to be $573 million annually.
• Physical activity helps to prevent chronic diseases like cancer, Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
• British Columbia boasts over 530 trails.
• BC Parks is celebrating 100 years this year.

Learn More:

Share your healthy lifestyle stories and see how other communities around the province are doing at: www.HealthyFamiliesBCWalkingChallenge.ca

Many trails throughout British Columbia are easily accessible for everyone. Find trails near you and other outdoor activities at: www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/index.html

For tips on how to make physical activity part of your daily routine, visit Healthy Families BC at: www.HealthyFamiliesBC.ca

Media Contact:

Ryan Jabs
Media Relations Manager
Ministry of Health
250 952-1887 (media line)