January 23, 2015 - "Keep Calm and Walk On" was the slogan for the Shelby county - Walk Across Texas contestants as the eleven teams and four solo walkers dusted off their walking shoes and joined in to “Walk Across Texas!” These teams and solo walkers competed with each other to see who could walk the most miles over eight weeks from October 27 – December 19, 2014. Their goal was to walk at least 830 miles (the distance from Longview to El Paso) in eight weeks.
At the conclusion of the 8 week program, the teams and individuals walked a total of 12,072 miles with The Country Girls team walking 2,102 miles and placing first in the team category. The County Girls team is comprised of Cynthia Howard, team captain, Latoya Howard, DeShun Gregory, Sheila Reeves, Daphne McCollister, NaKeisha Swindle, Denetra Slaughter, and Tara Bailey. Candace Prater from the Cruse Expedition team walked 711 miles and won the individual award for most miles completed. Other teams competing included: Cruse Expedition, Shelby Savings Bank (5 teams), Huxley Bay Marina, Roadrunners, The Disciples and Agony of De Feet.
A special thanks to the sponsors of this event: The Loft, T/R’s Steaks and More, Lasting Impressions, Hughes Florist, The Century Shoppe, Backyard Designs, Sombero’s, Center Health & Harmony, Dairy Queen and Mooney’s Emporium.
Walk Across Texas, sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is a fun, flexible, and FREE way to encourage people to exercise. For more information on wellness programs, call Jheri-Lynn McSwain, CEA-FCS at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Shelby County at 936-598-7744 or email at jheri-lynn.smith@ag.tamu.edu.
