On Sunday, March 10^th, W3 – Working for Whitewater’s Wellness – held their second annual WellFest. Wellfest took place within the Whitewater high school. The event was a huge success; over 15 local businesses, 4 presenters, and 150 participants joined in on the fun. W3 worked extremely hard to implement yet another successful WellFest by providing a multitude of activities promoting Wellness and Sustainability.

Activities conducted included yoga, boot camp, Zumba, Tai Chi, and “Minute to Win It” games.  Presentations on healthy eating, financial planning and cooking were also available to benefit all of those attending. The “Minute to Win It” games were a favorite among the younger generation. Kids from the ages of 6 to 14 loved the various challenges put on by members of Creative Marketing Unlimited.  Even residents of the university residence halls tried to apply their skills to the various mini tasks.

The “Minute to Win It” challenge included 7 activities. The winners would be chosen based on their times; the lower your time, the more competitive your chances for a prize. The first challenge was “balloon juggling” best described as keeping 3 balloons airborne as long as possible. The “balloon challenge” worked conversely to the other activities because the time the balloons were off the ground was deducted from their final score.  The hardest game was the “quarter catch” or rolling a quarter on an uneven table and having it stop in the prongs of a fork. Every person who gave the competition a try found a game they were naturally skilled at as well as one that challenged them.

Along with helping conduct the “Minute to Win It games,” CMU members also manned a UWW Earth Initiative table. The table was a huge success and extended the sustainability initiative to members outside of the college campus.  The main goal of the table was to share what the university was implementing to promote and initiate a sustainable campus. Not only did the table provide information but also hosted a “race to recycle” activity to get the community engaged with recycling. 35 water bottles were also dispensed in exchange for participants using social media to promote the Facebook and Twitter aspects of the initiative.

Overall, WellFest in 2013 grew from last year. There was more involvement and activities compared to the previous year. Everyone in attendance voiced appreciation for the hard work involved with putting on a successful event.  Kids, college students, and the community all found something tailored to their interests during their time at WellFest and look forward to what next year will hold.