PORT ANGELES — The first day of registration for a benefit weight-loss contest was slow Sunday, but organizers remain hopeful for more participants in the coming days.
Eight people had registered by Sunday afternoon for the Volunteers in Medicine of the Olympics Weight Loss Challenge, a 60-day weight-loss program and contest.
“We’ve been getting 20 calls a day about it. I figure more will come after the [Seahawks] game,” said Scott Brandon, relationship development manager for Volunteers in Medicine of the Olympics, aka VIMO.
Many people make weight loss resolutions for the new year, Brandon noted.
“It’s not a coincidence,” he said of the timing for the challenge. “We want to help people with their new year resolutions and get 2016 off to a happy, healthy start.”
Proceeds from challenge entry fees will benefit the clinic in its efforts to provide medical care to area residents who do not have insurance and cannot pay out of pocket for medical needs.
Cash, prizes
The contest benefits participants by helping with weight loss goals, and offers cash and prizes for the winners.
Contestants can visit VIMO’s clinic at 819 Georgiana St., through Friday to weigh in and pay the $100 entry fee.
Sliding scale fees as low as $20 are available to low-income participants.
The clinic office will be open for weigh-ins from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today through Friday.
Final weigh-outs will take place March 10-12.
When the weigh-out is complete, winners will be determined by the largest percentage of body weight lost in each of the male, female and team categories.
A welcome night will be held at 6 p.m., Jan. 19, at Olympic Medical Center, where entrants will receive a welcome packet with motivational tips, information and discounts and other incentives from local businesses, Brandon said.
Activity groups
A walking group will begin today, and other groups are expected to form, he said.
Brandon said activity groups will be suited to participants of all fitness levels, because camaraderie and positivity are key to success.
Each winner will take home 10 percent of the fees collected in his or her category, and donated prizes, including Sassy Kat Salon makeovers and studio sessions at Ernst Fine Art Photography.
Clallam County residents are more likely to be overweight, diabetic or have hypertension, according to Mary Hogan, executive director of VIMO.
About 27 percent of adults in Clallam County are overweight, according to the 2012 Community Health Assessment, compared with 24 percent in Jefferson County and 26 percent statewide.
In Clallam County, about 9 percent of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, while about 5 percent of Jefferson County residents are diagnosed.
About 7 percent of Washington state residents are diagnosed as diabetic.
For more information on the contest, phone VIMO at 360-457-4431 or visit their website at www.vimoclinic.org.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz contributed to this report.
