With the generous support of the 2014 Active Trails grant from the National Park Foundation, Essex Heritage has teamed up with the YMCA of the North Shore to launch Move It! 100 Miles in 100 Days Challenge – a new program inspiring individuals and families of all ages to get active. Whether in the great outdoors of Essex National Heritage Area or inside the state-of-the-art facilities at the several YMCA locations throughout the North Shore and Southern New Hampshire (Salem, Beverly, Ipswich, Cape Ann, Marblehead, Haverhill and Plaistow, NH), the Y and Essex Heritage want to keep the community moving!
The Move It! 100 Miles in 100 Days Challenge will run July through October 2014 and offers a diverse array of opportunities to rack up 100 total miles in 100 days from biking, running, walking, hiking, swimming, a Y Bootcamp class, family scavenger hunts—whatever you fancy! Enjoy YMCA of the North Shore Road Races, Essex Heritage’s Trail & Sails events and dozens of activities for all ages offered throughout the county. Once you log-in or register for Move It!, track your miles via the Move It! Mileage Tracker to receive free, fun milestone prizes along the way. Rack up mileage at Move It! events happening throughout the Challenge. Wondering where to Move It? Discover the Border to Boston Trail and Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, and find places to explore in the Essex National Heritage Area at www.EssexHeritage.org/MoveIt.
To kick off this exciting partnership, camps at the Salem, Marblehead, Ipswich and Beverly YMCAs will be hosting Family Nights for their camp participants. The events will include scavenger hunts, prizes, picnics, snacks and fun for campers and their families.
Campers and their families can join the Move It! celebration at their camp and take part in fun-filled activities to help launch the 100 Miles in 100 Days Challenge. Camp Takoma kicked off the Camper Family Nights with a scavenger hunt, picnic and prizes on July 8, leading the way for the following events at each camp location below:
- Salem, Camp Naumkeag: Thursday, July 10 at 6:30pm
- Lynch/van Otterloo, Children’s Island Camp, July 15 (boat leaves State St. Landing in Marblehead at 4:00 and 5:00pm)
- Greater Beverly, Sterling Woods Camp: Thursday, July 17 at 7:00pm
“Essex Heritage is excited to work with the YMCA of the North Shore to promote healthy living by getting people out and active,” said Annie C. Harris, Essex Heritage CEO. “The program provides an excellent platform to raise awareness of the natural resources throughout the Essex National Heritage Area while having fun on your own or at special events – like YMCA of the North Shore Road Races, Essex Heritage’s Trail & Sails events, and dozens of other activities for all ages offered throughout the area.”
ABOUT THE Y
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility. For over 150 years, the YMCA of the North Shore has been strengthening the foundations of community for the more than 40,000 members it serves in 25 cities and towns. They nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being and provide opportunities to give back and support our neighbors; regardless of age, race, ethnicity or socio-economic background. www.northshoreymca.org
ABOUT ESSEX HERITAGE AND THE ESSEX NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
Designated by the US Congress in recognition of the important role that this region played in American history and its significant heritage sites still remaining, the Essex National Heritage Area is comprised of the 34 communities of Essex County, MA. Essex Heritage is the non-profit organization that manages the Essex National Heritage Area by developing programs that enhance, preserve and encourage recreation, education, conservation and interpretation projects on Boston’s North Shore and the Lower Merrimack River Valley. For more information, visit www.EssexHeritage.org or call (978) 740-0444.
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This project was made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation through the generous support of Coca-Cola, the Coca-Cola Foundation, DISNEY, and the Scooby Foundation.
