n Communities participate

in health walk

From staff reports

Chickasaw Journal

CHICKASAW COUNTY - The Mississippi Main Street Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield of MS are inviting citizens out for a walk and the local Main Street associations are taking them up on the offer.

"Let's go walking down Main Street," will be held Saturday, Nov. 8 in Houston, Woodland and Okolona and residents are encouraged to don their tennis shoes and take a step for good health.

"This is a program that Gov. Haley Barbour started," said Houston Mainstreet Director Joyce East. "Mississippi Main Street Association and Blue Cross have partnered with it."

Free t-shirts will be awarded to individuals who complete the walk in any of the three locations.

In Houston, the walk will begin at 8 a.m. and will travel from City Hall, up Jefferson Street and back to City Hall. Trace Regional Hospital will provide bottled water for participants.

Woodland will kick off their walk at 8 a.m. and will also offer bottled water and free blood pressure checks.

In Okolona, the walk will begin at 9 a.m. and will travel from the Confederate monument on Main Street to the elementary school and back.

"It's a half mile to the school and another half mile back," said Okolona Main Street Director Linda Carnathan. "That will be a one-mile walk if you go the whole way."

Carnathan said that water and fruit will be available to participants, donated by local merchants.

The Town of New Houlka is not a designated Main Street community, but residents need not feel left out. Carnathan said that she plans to contact the city government and issue an invitation for citizens to join the walk in Okolona.