Donated pedometers will help students track mini-marathon

WESTFALL — Delaware Valley Middle School Principal Pete Ioppolo always wanted to run a 26.2-mile marathon, but wasn’t sure if his body could handle the stresses of training and the final run. That was until a chance meeting with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, who recently dropped his bid for president and famously lost 100 pounds, suggested Ioppolo run a “mini-marathon,” which involves running 26.2 miles over a period of days/weeks. Ioppolo took the idea and ran with it. He developed the Delaware Valley Middle School Principal’s Mini Marathon, which invites students to run at least three miles one-day-a-week for nine consecutive weeks. Last year, 35 students joined the run and this year another 40 students as well as staff ran the Mini-Marathon. This time around, the Pike County Teen Alcohol & Drug Resource Center donated 60 pedometers, which enabled students to track and record their distances. “Research shows high levels of activity lowers the incidence of risky behaviors,” said Mary Stanley, program coordinator of the Pike County Teen Alcohol & Drug Resource Center. “Next year, the school hopes to have parents join in the program.” Research shows that teenagers are less likely to be involved in risky behavior when they are engaged in active behavior with their parents, Stanley added. The Pike County Health Fund was created in 2003 to offer health care screenings and tests at the Milford Health & Wellness Center to Pike County residents who were under-insured or uninsured. In addition to this program, which is ongoing, the Pike County Health Fund has expanded creating additional services such as the Pike County Teen Alcohol and Drug Resource Center.