Community Wellness Challenge Brings Movement and Connection to Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition
Background
When the Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition (MAWC) and HES partnered to bring Walktober to mid-Michigan, the goal was much bigger than simply launching a fall step challenge. It was an opportunity to advance community health by uniting the Midland County/Great Lakes Bay Region behind an accessible initiative.
For MAWC, Walktober was a chance to spark community-wide engagement and offer a ready-to-go experience that reduced administrative lift for member organizations.
For HES, it offered an ideal setting to see how a flagship challenge could serve as a model for wide-reaching community wellness collaboration.
The Coalition’s Vision: A Unified Approach to Community Wellbeing
Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition is dedicated to building a thriving, resilient community where everyone can “feel good, struggle well, and function effectively.” Founded in 2020, MAWC now includes 300+ members (100+ organizations) across sectors including government, nonprofits, healthcare, education, and business in addition to community services. Overall, the Coalition acts as a hub… aligning and amplifying local wellbeing initiatives to be more accessible and sustained across Midland County/Great Lakes Bay Region.
Coalition leaders wanted a health initiative that was:
- Easy to explain (“anyone can join”)
- Capable of reaching a wide cross-section of the population
- Backed by meaningful data
- Rooted in positive connection — a cornerstone of community wellbeing.
Walktober delivered all of this through mobile access, inclusive tracking options, supportive content, and a lively Wall where participants shared photos, notes of encouragement, and local pride.
From MAWC Director, Kathy Snyder
“This was our first community-wide, truly accessible initiative, and it was wildly successful. It gave people a fun way to connect that’s different from how they normally interact.”
Quick Stats
COMMUNITY
(Midland County/Great Lakes Bay Region)
PRIMARY FOCUS
Community wellbeing through shared physical activity and social connection.
ORGANIZATIONS ENGAGED
46+
coalition member organizations
PARTICIPANTS
~1000
residents, employees, and family members
KICKOFF EVENT
50-60
attendees
VERIFIED STEPS
More than
216 million
GOAL STRUCTURE
20-leaf personal target met by
60%
of participants
Community-wide leaf pile goal of 12,628 exceeded —
17,677
leaves earned in total
From: Peg Sczepanski, Global Wellbeing Program Manager at Dow
“It’s really refreshing when you can do things that align both with work, community, and family. And the fact is our wellbeing program offerings at Dow are limited to just our employees. So it felt really good and different that this was open to all community members and made the message easier to share.”
Results
Coalition-Level Impact: A Unified Approach to Community Wellness
From the outset, Walktober was positioned as a shared wellbeing initiative for the entire Region — not a program owned by 1 employer or 1 entity. This approach strengthened trust and encouraged broader participation.
Here’s how MAWC was able to honor existing wellness efforts and foster collaboration:
- The Coalition invited local fitness and health organizations to join, rather than compete against them
- The promotion leveraged existing community and coalition opportunities like WakeUp! Midland, Power Half Hour workshops, and Workplace Wellbeing Ambassadors.
- Member organizations received ready-made materials that quickly communicated key Walktober information internally.
Payoff was significant: The Coalition finally had both qualitative stories and quantitative data demonstrating how a single, well-designed challenge can elevate community wellbeing across multiple diverse groups.
Organization-Level Engagement: Why Members Joined — and What They Gained
Walktober revealed how any coalition-led challenge can support community wellness while still meeting each individual organization’s unique needs.
Dow’s involvement reflected commitment to community wellness in their headquarters region:
- Targeted communication through a wellbeing portal
- Internal news features through Dow Connect
- Onsite promotion in cafeterias and fitness centers with broad public reach.
Employees, spouses, retirees, and community members could all participate, which broke down traditional eligibility barriers and reinforced Dow’s local presence.
From Peggy Sczepanski, Global Wellbeing Program Manager at Dow
“The unique aspect of something like this is that community involvement, AND community and family involvement. Doing things within your employer population is good, and there’s lots of evidence suggesting the benefits of that. But it’s really refreshing when you can do things that align with work, and community, and family.”
The organization integrated Walktober into ongoing wellbeing and self-care efforts in a variety of ways:
- Staff could log 2 15-minute walks during paid hours
- Participation aligned with their own Neighboring Week, strengthening local connections
- Walktober became practical support for both physical and emotional wellbeing.
From Terri Robbins, Community Services Director at Disability Network Mid-Michigan
“It’s been a great way to build community. Additionally, some of our team members are taking a much-needed break to refresh during the day. That recharge can be a game changer.”
The ESA’s culture-focused Better Together team saw Walktober as a natural extension of their year-round commitment to positive team dynamic with:
- Employees who formed multiple teams
- Friendly competition to encourage engagement
- An app’s communication features to keep excitement high.
Walktober supported both community wellness and workplace morale.
From Kim Bruske, Human Resources Director at Midland County ESA
“Because a lot of us have desk jobs, it has made us get motivated to get up and get away from our desks and walk even if it is just for a few minutes.”
Supporting community wellness is central to the Foundation’s mission. They embraced Walktober both as a supporter of community wellbeing and as an active participant. Their team joined quickly and used the challenge as a positive way to stay active and connected, which:
- Made participation simple and inviting by giving employees an easy, low-barrier way to join
- Built early momentum with a team kickoff walk across the Tridge, a popular destination point near downtown Midland
- Used the challenge as a fun, energizing way to stay active and connected throughout the month.
From Kristin Sovis, Postsecondary Education Leader at Midland Area Community Foundation
“We love supporting community wellbeing activities, and this gave us a fun way to walk more together. It’s become something positive to chat about around the office.”
For MPS, here’s how the district aligned Walktober with its goals of connection, belonging, and staff wellbeing:
- Promoted through internal newsletters and administrative center messaging
- Formed teams organically across buildings
- Used walking groups to pull in new participants
- Strengthened connections within the district and larger community.
From Katie Guyer, Director of Communications at Midland Public Schools
“We are always looking for ways for our staff to connect with each other. And when we heard about this initiative, we thought it’s an easy way to get people not only out there, moving around and enjoying the outdoor part of our community, but also connecting with each other and getting to know each other better.”
Participant Stories: Community Wellness Through Connection
Participants consistently described Walktober as a boost to movement, accountability, and social connection — all pillars of community wellbeing.
- “It has encouraged me to get up in the morning and walk on my treadmill before I head into work.”
- “It gave me a reason to take breaks throughout the day and move around.”
- “Walktober reminded me that movement doesn’t need to be complicated; short walks and everyday activities add up.”
- “Everyone posting pictures of their walks on the app has been so positive and fun to see — the team rankings have been motivating, too.”
On the app’s message wall, people discovered coworkers, neighbors, old friends, and unexpected acquaintances. This reinforced the Coalition’s belief that community wellbeing grows stronger when people can see each other’s efforts and cheer one another on.
What’s Next?
MAWC and HES are already exploring how to make Walktober an annual community wellbeing tradition by expanding the challenge through additional events, applying for grants to scale participation, and creating Coalition-wide programming throughout the year.
Lessons, Tips, and Takeaways
Recommendations for coalitions and groups aiming to elevate community wellness efforts through shared initiatives:
Lead with inclusivity
“Everyone is welcome” messaging removes barriers and encourages organizations to join without hesitation.
Use existing infrastructure
Regular meetings, newsletters, and local events become easy launchpads for promotion.
Provide turnkey materials
Posters, emails, and flyers lighten the lift for member organizations.
Make social connections the priority
Message walls, team rankings, and local poll questions help shape a vibrant community wellness culture.
Integrate local flavor
Walks at popular landmarks, farmers’ markets, sports events, and regional holidays add meaning and visibility within the community.
Gather data that tells a full story
Combining participation statistics with live experiences offers a powerful picture of community wellness impact.
Promote sustainability
With early planning and support, wellness programs become an annual signature event.
Ready to Strengthen Community Wellness Where You Live or Work?
If your wellbeing coalition, partnership group, or regional collaborative wants to bring together organizations around a proven, energizing initiative, Walktober is a strong model. It helps build real momentum for community wellness and delivers meaningful data plus personal stories that illustrate true collective impact.
HES can help bring this valuable experience to your community. Contact us or call 800.326.2317 to explore ways you can ignite community wellness in your area.
