Published:
- by Mount Saint Mary College
Dina Leduc, Robin Rosenberg, Father Gregoire Fluet, and Trevor Purcell photographed at the Employee Wellness Day ribbon cutting.

Dina Leduc, RN, '98, assistant director of Health Services; Robin Rosenberg, a Career Counselor with the Mount's Career Center, Fr. Gregoire Fluet, director of Campus Ministry and Campus Chaplain; and Trevor Purcell, assistant athletic director; at the ribbon cutting of the Walking Loops.

Mount Saint Mary College recently celebrated its third annual Employee Wellness Day, which featured yoga instruction, lessons on healthy eating, a kickboxing class, and more.

Facilitating the day's efforts was the college's Employee Wellness Committee. Formed in 2018, the committee is comprised of representatives from many offices, schools, and divisions at the college, including Health Services, Human Resources, Athletics, Campus Ministry, Counseling Services, the Career Center, Campus Ministry, faculty members, the Mount's food service provider Parkhurst Dining, and more.

One of the highlights of Wellness Day was the ribbon cutting ceremony for the college's Walking Loops, a pair of routes for employees to travel for a pleasant workout and to celebrate the history of the Mount.

Robin Rosenberg walking with a Walking Loop map.Robin Rosenberg, a Career Counselor with the Mount's Career Center, spearheaded the Walking Loops project.

"Recognizing that our employees have varying fitness levels, we decided to create two different paths," said Rosenberg.

The Villa Loop has a mild slope while the Dominican Center Loop incorporates a more vigorous workout, she said. Maps of the loops act as a guide to those walking them, as well as provide historical information about the locations around campus.

The Walking Loops project was made possible by a grant from Orange County.

"When the county advised us that we could apply for grant funding to create a marked walking trail, we jumped at the opportunity and succeeded at our grant application," Rosenberg explained.

Jessica Ridgeway of Orange County Department of Planning served as the Community Health Coordinator for the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) Grant Program, managed by the Orange County Department of Health. In addition to her aid with the grant, Ridgeway helped to coordinate the Walking Loops site selection on campus and the manufacture and design of the Walking Loop signs.

CHSC was a five-year (2015-2020) public health initiative to reduce major risk factors of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases in 85 school districts and associated communities statewide.

"One of our goals was to increase access to opportunities to walk, bike, and roll in public spaces...by partnering with large employers in Newburgh, Port Jervis, and Middletown," said Ridgeway. "Since many New York adults spend most of their day working, employers have a unique opportunity to foster environments that support and encourage wellness."

Rosenberg noted that the Walking Loops project could not have been completed without aid from many members of the Mount campus. She thanked the Mount's offices of Advancement and Purchasing, the Athletics Department, Wellness Committee, Ridgeway, and Charles Zola, who is director of the Catholic and Dominican Institute, assistant to the President in Mission Integration, and an associate professor of Philosophy.

Before Rosenberg cut the ribbon, officially opening the Walking Loops, Fr. Gregoire Fluet, director of Campus Ministry and Campus Chaplain, gave an invocation.

"Send you blessings upon these Walking Loops, but especially upon all who will use them," he said. "We celebrate the gift of nature."

 

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