Wellness Day a resounding success

23/10/93

More than 180,000 Western Australians took part in some form of recreational activity as part of Wellness Day last Wednesday (October 20).

This was 42,000 more than the number of people involved in 1992, which was the inaugural year of Wellness Day.

Sport and Recreation Minister Norman Moore said today that 57 local government authorities, also a significant increase on last year, took part.

Wellness Day was organised by the Ministry of Sport and Recreation and was designed to promote fund activities and friendly rivalry between local towns and shires.  It promoted the importance of recreation as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle and was based on people undertaking 15 minutes of recreational activity, then registering with their local government office.

"People of this State embraced Wellness Day with enthusiasm and I congratulate everyone who accepted the challenge by participating," Mr Moore said.

"This increased participation and the wide variety of activities involved indicates that Wellness Day is successful in its goal to promote recreational activities as a part of the lifestyles of a broad range of people."

Communities as small as the Shire of Upper Gascoyne, with 253 residents, to the City of Wanneroo with a population of 200,000, participated this year.

Country shires in particular fared extremely well, scoring high rates of participation on the day.

Nursing homes, businesses, hospitals, sporting clubs, and council offices all registered their involvement.  Schools represented one of the highest participating groups.

Walking and gardening were the most popular activities registered.

Mr Moore said the winning local government authority, with the highest percentage of community involvement on Wellness Day, would be presented with the Wellness Challenge Cup by Premier Richard Court at a special awards function at the Hyatt Hotel on November 4.  The winners of the metropolitan, country and the over 20,000 population categories would also be announced.

Media contacts: Susan Quay, Ministry of Sport and Recreation 332 3771, Ross Storey 321 1444