Community Corner

Locals Rank in Walk Geogia Program

Douglas County GreyStone employees rank in statewide, 12-week walking program.

employees earned top spots in Walk Georgia, a 12-week walking program sponsored through county cooperative extension offices.

Employees participated either as individuals or as part of a team. Teresa Green placed first among individual participants for Haralson County. For Douglas County, Sandy Beasley placed second, Jeremy Thurman placed third and Ricky Williams placed fifth.

The “Dixie Chicks” team, which included GreyStone employees Nancy Lewis, Marcita Scharnhorst and Vicki Harshbarger, as well as employee Leroy Perryman’s wife, Freda Perryman, ranked first place for groups in Douglas County.

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More than 50 GreyStone employees participated in Walk Georgia, which involved recording daily physical activity online for points, or “mileage.” Participants could record a wide variety of physical activities, including dancing, horseback riding, hunting and skiing, among many others.

Walking and running for fitness is encouraged by GreyStone’s Human Resources department, and several employees will be running in the upcoming Peachtree Road Race.

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This year marks the 30th race for GreyStone Human Resource Specialist Judy Shaw and her husband, Millard. The Shaws train for the 6.2-mile race by running a four-mile course from their home beginning in March. They also walk throughout the year to stay in shape. “We’ve been fortunate to be in good health to be able to participate each year,” said Shaw. “It’s kind of addictive, and then it becomes a tradition.”

Several other GreyStone employees will also be competing in the Fourth of July event. Douglas County resident Lisa Lonon is running the race for the first time. Walk Georgia leader Sandy Beasley is running a second time. Douglasville residents Glenn Purcell and Farley Moore are running for a fourth time and fifth time, respectively. They will join about 60,000 other runners to compete in the world’s largest 10K.

While the goal of workplace wellness programs is to improve employee health, Shaw said they also help alleviate the impact of enormous increases in health insurance premiums. “We are taking the ‘corporate wellbeing’ approach at GreyStone with annual flu shots, a health fair, fitness programs, wellness newsletters and blood pressure checks. According to statistics, it is estimated that being overweight increases yearly per person health care costs by $125, while obesity increases costs by $395. It is also estimated that two thirds of chronic conditions can be attributed to three major lifestyle risk factors: physical inactivity, poor diet and tobacco use.”

GreyStone Power serves more than 103,500 members in portions of eight counties, including Paulding, Douglas, Fulton, Cobb, Carroll, Bartow, Fayette and Coweta counties. Learn more at www.greystonepower.com.   


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