How can you combine team outings, healthy activities and charity? Organize your department for a charity walk. The opportunity is a great way to engage everyone at work in a healthy, low-impact exercise that raises money for meaningful causes. The opportunity can be company-sponsored or can be jump-started by a wellness-minded department manager.

Organizing Your Team Walk

Find a charity walk that works for everyone. See what walkathon events will be occurring in your area. Take a poll so that everyone is on board with the charity you wish to help. By using your team outing to participant in the event, everyone not only gets the opportunity to offer their personal contribution to charity, but also gets a chance to engage in a activity that’s good for them. Walking could be become a healthy habit across the company.

Here are some of the major walkathons in the nation.

• Walk to End Alzheimer’s
• Avon Walk for Breast Cancer
• Bike MS
• The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life
• Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
• American Heart Association’s Heart Walk
• Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Walk Now for Autism Speaks
• Walk to Stop Diabetes
• St. Jude Heroes for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Buddy Walk for National Down Syndrome Society

Find Sponsors to Raise More Money

Instead of a walkathon team outing, the event can be a company-wide event as well. To add to the charity-building effort, participants can collect money to sponsor them individually in the event. That means more money for charity while taking a good, long walk.  A company sponsored prize for most money raised is another way to add to the excitement. A home office sit-stand workstation is an attractive prize that promotes wellness, while helping a great cause.

Get Competitive with Other Departments

Turning the event into a challenge puts better health at the center of teamwork. It’s also an opportunity to gain more participants in the program.

Make Tee-Shirts

Set your department apart from all the other volunteers with distinctive tee shirt designs, a cool keepsake for all who participated. This also makes for great pics on the company Facebook page.

Make the Announcement Company-Wide

Use the company newsletter, break room flyers and word-of mouth to get the new out about the walkathon. Be ready with sign-up sheets. Wellness doesn’t have to be a policy from HR. It can be a spontaneous and healthy initiative from any one at the company who is ready to lead others to healthy living.