“Battling For Bikes” from Bluffton Elementary school takes home the gold!

“Battling for Bikes” from Bluffton Elementary School earned first place in the Health Action Council Healthy Kids Fall Step It Up Challenge. Team members Jaime Combs, Heidi Steiner and Ryan Dunlap won $1,500 for their school and averaged 808,262 steps.

The Fall Healthy Kids Step It Up Challenge, powered by Health Action Council, is a national no-cost, four-week step program that promotes overall health and well-being for schools and the community. School administrators, educators, and parents stepped up to model healthy habits, show leadership, and win money!

“Step It Up fosters community engagement through healthy competition, while inspiring kids to get active and build lifelong healthy habits,” said Patty Starr, President & CEO of Health Action Council. “Empowering the next generation to prioritize wellness is one of the most impactful ways we can lead by example. This year’s winners truly embodied that spirit by motivating others, achieving outstanding results, and having fun along the way.”

The Healthy Kids Step It Up Challenge empowers teams to lead by example, inspiring students to build lifelong healthy habits through action. By getting active together, teams model the importance of wellness and encourage students to explore all aspects of a healthy lifestyle.

This year’s challenge focused on the dimensions of wellness, showing how each area plays a role in overall well-being. Through engaging activities and daily movement goals, participants learned how staying active, supporting others, and caring for their mental health all contribute to a balanced, healthy life.

This challenge attracted 321 participants from 43 teams, achieving a collective step goal of 88,119,456 total steps, with an individual average of 9,804 steps.

Second place winners were “watch us shine” from Perry Local Schools, consisting of fitness fanatics Kayla Rackovan, Eric Pentek, Dawn Gervan, and Jenn Zack, winning their school $1,250 and averaging 668,021 total steps.

Third place was awarded to “The Walking Bread” from Boulder Valley School District, consisting of wellness warriors: April Servold, John Mascarenas, Wasinee Nightingale, Crystal Martinez, Carrie Jentz, Silas Goldstein, and José Jimenez . The team won their school $1,000 and averaged 649,700 average total steps.

Fourth place winners were “Maumee Panthers” from Maumee City Schools, consisting of Mary Studenka, Angie Wojcik, and Rachel Hostetler, who won $750 for their school and averaged 325,009 total steps.

Finishing in fifth place was “Powerful Pirates” from Perry Local Schools, made up by Malcolm Battiato, Amanda Osburn, Bill Halsey, Robert Lingenfelter, John Grdina, Christina Studio, Chris Basich, Elisha Eppich, Carol Cuevas, Amanda Capitosti, Joe Dasinger, Valerie Burke, Leslie Monroe, Nikki Tomasic, Stephanie Royko, Amy Dasinger, Jess Siegel, and Danielle Alberts, who won $500 for their school with an average of 322,563 total steps.

In addition, Ohio Prizes went to:

• “LHS Girls Athletic Association” from Lancaster City Schools (Central OHSAA District) won $1,000, averaging 555,126. Team members were Allen Rob, Jim Day, Dianna Galadyk, Allison Kinniard, and Teresa Tripp.
• “The History of Math in the Civil War” from Northern Local Schools (Southeast OHSAA District) won $1,000, with an average of 536,207 total steps. Team members were J.D. Walters, Chris Walters, Adam Huffman, and Katie Huffman.

The following were mini challenge winners:

10/7: Kristine Twigg from Fairless Local Schools won a $15 Starbucks gift card for posting a wellness goal in the challenge chat.
10/9: Delia Saenz from Pioneer Schools won a pickleball paddle set for participating in our physical wellness mini challenge.
10/13: Jen Burden from WG Schools won a $25 Amazon gift card for participating in our intellectual wellness mini challenge.
10/15: Heidi Steiner from Bluffton Schools won a a Bodum 34oz Chambord French Press Coffee Maker for participating in our occupational wellness mini challenge.
10/17: Ali Vanek from Boulder Valley School District won an Owala FreeSip Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle for participating in our environmental wellness mini challenge.
10/21: Nicole Loerch from Perry Schools won a $20 Chipotle gift card for participating in our social wellness mini challenge.
10/23: Sherry Stengel from Fort Frye Local Schools won a Pilates Ring, Ball, and Resistance Band Set in our emotional wellness mini challenge
10/27: Bobbie Repp from Edon Northwest Schools won a $20 Amazon gift card for participating in our financial wellness mini challenge.
10/29: Jenn Elliott from Perry Schools won a resistance band set in our spiritual wellness mini challenge.
11/3: Liz Barkan from Fairless Local Schools was selected to win a $25 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift card for participating in our heart health mini challenge.

Interested in joining the 2026 Spring Healthy Kids Challenge? Dates are March 30 – April 26. Learn more and register here. For questions, contact Noelle Reinhart at [email protected].

About Health Action Council
Health Action Council is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization representing mid and large-size employers that enhances human and economic health through thought leadership, innovative services, and collaboration. It provides value to its members by facilitating projects that improve the quality and moderate the cost of healthcare purchased by its members for their employees, dependents, and retirees. Health Action Council also collaborates with key stakeholders - health plans, physicians, hospitals, and the pharmaceutical industry - to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare in the community.