People walk around a track at a college stadium

The 45-day “Valley Up: Every Move Counts” wellness challenge for faculty and staff launched with a high-energy campus walkathon on March 4. 

The event started at the SBVC Stadium, where participants received a T-shirt, water bottle, towel, tote, and drawstring bag. The challenge runs through April 18, and those who signed up to track their activity through the Wellbeing+ app could win prizes. 

“We were thrilled to see such a strong turnout for the Walk-A-Thon kickoff — it was great seeing so many members of our campus community come together to support wellness and connect with colleagues," said Shyla Cobbett, administrative assistant III in Research, Planning, & Institutional Effectiveness. She spearheaded the challenge alongside Technology Support Specialist II Jeff Huynh. 

The idea for Valley Up: Every Move Counts grew out of conversations held during last summer's Valley Up the Mountain leadership summit, where attendees decided to prioritize wellness and staff connection. Seeing the plan come to life has been exciting, Cobbett said, and she hopes the event can be built upon in the future. 

“Even after the challenge ends, we hope this encourages our campus community to continue moving together and supporting one another in building a lifetime of wellness,” Cobbett added. 

Within the first week of the challenge, more than 180 people signed up to participate. Teams are competing to log the most steps, and the SBVC Foundation donated $1,000 to the $2,000 prize pool.