With sunny days and warmer weather around the corner (hopefully), this week we are highlighting the Wellness Mission Fund. We hope this week’s article motivates you all to get outside and take advantage of the many healthy lifestyle choices that Portage County provides.
This fund was originally established in 2005 by fund founder, John Jury, with a purpose to provide support for proactive health and wellness educational efforts and/or health and wellness programming in Portage County. John Jury was the Community Foundation’s Executive Director at that time and the Chair of the Walk Wisconsin Event.
The first ever Walk Wisconsin Event also took place in June 2005. The Community Foundation worked with numerous community health providers and health promoters to produce the first Walk Wisconsin walking marathon. There were more than 1,100 participants in that first event who collectively walked more than 14,000 miles on the beautiful trail systems around the Portage County urban area. Much of the marathon route followed the Green Circle Trail system. Organizers wanted everyone to benefit from taking personal responsibility for our own health.
Today, the Wellness Mission Fund of Portage County supports a wide variety of programs and projects that support many issues surrounding overall health including hunger, domestic abuse, mental health, public health, alcohol, drug or substance abuse, as well as many other areas.
When you make a gift to the Wellness Mission Fund, you can directly support health and wellness initiatives in our community today, and our community for the future.