In its 7th year, the annual event is coordinated by South Peninsula Hospital, in partnership with SVT Health & Wellness, South Peninsula Behavioral Health, the City of Homer, SPARC and the Homer Chamber of Commerce. South Peninsula Hospital Foundation provides a grant for the cash prizes and the weekly Homer Bucks prize drawings.
Over $3,000 in cash and prizes were awarded in the 2023 Homer Steps Up walking challenge that ran May 1-28, 2023. 665 individual participants (an increase over last year), on 70 total teams (an increase over 60 teams last year) made up of took a total of 165,129,433 steps. Together they walked the equivalent of over 3 times the earth.
New this year, the Homer Foundation sponsored $1000 for the top three teams to donate $500, $300 and $200 respectively to a local non-profit of their choice.
This year’s winning team, the Sweaty Betty’s, is the returning champion, and wins bragging rights, the traveling trophy, Champion T Shirts and a $500 award to a charity of choice. Sweaty Betty’s logged a cumulative average of 756,071 steps (actual total steps: 6,048,509). Team members were Jen Liston, Theresa Halpin, Samantha Keeley, Mary Liston, Cindy Llenos, Juley Kalugin, Lila Johnson and Melinda Erickson – Team Captain. They are donating their $500 to Homer Little League.
2d place team was The Blue Mile, very close on the heels of first place with 715,524 steps (cumulative average) and actual total steps: 3,577,630. Team members were Philip Christopherson, Shaun Green, Lisa Ravenscroft, Cathy Knott and Chris Stillford – Team Captain. They are donating their prize money ($300) to Christian Community Church.
The 3rd place team was the Water Willies with a cumulative average of 488,371 steps and total actual steps of 2,930,177. Team members were Ralph Skorski, Sean Love, Michael Szocinski, Jason Hoffman, Todd Cook and Michael Swoboda – Team Captain. They are donating their prize money ($200) to Friends of Kachemak Bay State Park
Each week, 9 individual participants won Homer Bucks in a steps-based random prize drawing, one participant won each weekly question answer prize drawing for a Yeti mug, and 9 individual participants won cash prizes at the end of the challenge. Visit homerstepsup.com or the Homer Steps Up Facebook page for more info and pictures!
