County Employees Get Healthy with New Health & Wellness Program

Maui Mayor Alan Arakawa. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Sonia Isotov

Yesterday, Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa and Managing Director Keith Regan, serious about good health, announced the creation of the County of Maui’s Health & Wellness Program.

The goal of the program is to get as many County of Maui employees as possible to rise to the challenge set by this new County Employee Wellness Program and collectively lose more than a ton over the next 6 months.

Partnering with Lollihop.com, this 6-month program places a focus on eating better, moving more and achieving and maintaining an appropriate weight. Employees have formed teams of 6 to do weigh-ins and will track their healthier lifestyle on Lollihop, the newest social health site to lose weight with friends.

Suzanne Xie, successful serial entrepreneur and founder of Lollihop, is very excited to partner with Maui County, Mayor Arakawa and Managing Director Regan, at no charge to the County of Maui. “Health initiatives like this are the beginning of a new movement, and will affect not just the county employees, but the overall community too. We share the belief that a healthier county makes for happier people,” Xie said.

Mayor Alan Arakawa said he is looking forward to the challenge. “County workers will be able to do their job better if they are feeling better physically,” he said. “Myself included.”

The program encourages participants to focus on safe weight loss, balanced nutrition, proper fluid intake, and regular exercise.

The County is continuing to seek the assistance of local companies and organizations to join in its efforts to create a healthy community. Companies who have already offered discounts to all County employees, include: Raw Fitness Maui, Fitness 808, and Jenny Craig. Certified fitness professional Michael Labuanan of Maui Sports Conditioning will also provide a free workshop and boot camp demonstration to the County of Maui employees.

For sponsorship opportunities, call the Mayor’s Special Projects Coordinator at 280-1299.