They have been instrumental in generating excitement about healthy lifestyles for many Windsor-Essex County residents. Our three outstanding Health Action Hero Recipients this year are:

Brian Marenchin:
Vice-Principal at Holy Cross Catholic Elementary School, Brian is the winner of the School Sector Health Action Hero Award. Brian has been employed with the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board for the past 12 years. He is well known in the school community and amongst his friends and colleagues as a very active teacher, mentor, role-model, husband and father always demonstrating his personal commitment to healthy living. He has facilitated many school events such as extra-curricular sports and house leagues, ‘pump you up’ assemblies, the daily deskercise program, school-wide fun/activity days, and staff challenges. Brian has also been involved with numerous committees at the Board level: Sports Council, Cross Country, Basketball, Volleyball, and Track and Field.

 

In the community, Brian has volunteered almost 15 years with Riverside Community Programs in their summer camp, their house league basketball and golf programs and their Travel Basketball program as well as serving on the Board of Directors.

 

Marty Beneteau, Windsor Star’s first Windsor-born Editor-in-Chief, is the winner of the Executive Committee’s Health Action Hero Award. Last year, after discussions with community fitness and nutrition experts, Marty initiated the “Fit City” series.  The purpose of the series was to raise awareness of governments, school boards, employers, health-care providers and the residents of Windsor Essex about our high rates of chronic diseases.

 

The series inspired readers through news stories, features, advice columns and other content to improve their health by eating well and by becoming more physically active. The idea for the series came from Marty’s own health problems. Facing surgery for a herniated disc that was causing sciatica and other back problems, Marty chose instead to engage in a program to improve his level of fitness and reduce his weight. Marty has gotten his life back and continues to support and promote healthy living in our community thorough the “FitCity” series.

Peter, a partner in the Raphael Partners Law Firm and the Chair of the Board for the Windsor & District Chamber of Commerce is the winner of the Workplace Health Action Award. Last year, Peter, inspired by the Windsor Star’s Fit City concept, initiated a Summer Solstice Challenge, through the Chamber of Commerce.

 

On the summer solstice, June 21, 2007, the longest day of the year, Peter challenged workplaces to commit to “shaping up Windsor and Essex County” in the belief that a physically healthy community leads to a fiscally healthy community. He invited people to gather work colleagues, friends, and family and to join him on Windsor’s River Walk Trail from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to kick-off this effort to be physically active by walking, jogging, in-line skating, or bicycling. In fact, to “walk the talk” and demonstrate his personal commitment, Peter went out and bought himself a brand new bicycle for the occasion, complete with, a helmet for safety! You can now find Peter cycling on the roadways of Windsor and Essex County on his own personal quest for fitness and health.