Remember that New Year’s resolution to start living a healthier lifestyle?
Neither do most people. In fact only eight per cent of people keep their New Year’s resolution, according to research by psychology Professor John C. Norcross from Scranton University in Pennsylvania.
But for 13 contestants throughout the Lower Mainland, kick-starting their goal to a healthy lifestyle could benefit their bodies and win them a cruise.
They are participating in the Kin’s Farm Market Green Fighters Challenge to start living healthier and to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society.
For Langley’s Amanda Emery, the motivation couldn’t be greater.
She is doing the contest in honour of her mother, who passed away from colon cancer in 2008. Colon cancer runs in her family, and she feels she has been making unhealthy eating choices that would increase her risk, she said.
“I have always wanted to participate in a walk/run for cancers below the waist in honour of my mom, but still have yet to do it,” she wrote in her bio.
“I feel that I don’t have the endurance needed to complete the task, or the confidence. This is something I would like to accomplish this year, to raise more money for cancer research by participating in Vancouver’s “Underwear Affair” and to fall in love with healthy eating.”
So far Emery has raised $325 of her $1,000 goal for the Canadian Cancer Society.
The contest, which started on March 1, will have participants take part in a weekly challenge over 13 weeks for a chance to win several prizes. The contestant who shows the greatest improvement in health at the end of the 13 weeks will win the grand prize of a cruise.
For her second challenge, Emery was set up at Kin’s Farm Market at Willowbrook Mall on Saturday collecting and distributing “one thing” post-it notes from customers, pledging one thing they can do to improve their health.
Next week she will have to create an entirely green meal for St. Patrick’s Day.
Other challenges include creating healthy eating tips, blogging about her health experiences, creating YouTube videos and selling Canadian Cancer Society daffodil pins.
To follow Emery’s progress, visit the Kin’s Green Fighters Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KinsFarmMarket.
To donate to Emery’s fundraising efforts for the Canadian Cancer Society, visit cancerevents.kintera.org and click on the ‘sponsor a participant’ logo.
