Dozens of people, including high school athletes, small children, hospital officials, and even senior citizens participated in the kickoff of a unique program to promote wellness.

The event, called "Get Your Tail on the Trail," is being staged each week at the Lansford Stadium. It involves walking laps around the track at the facility."Get Your Tail on the Trail" is a joint project of St. Luke's Miners Campus and the Panther Valley School District said Rosemarie C. Lister, consultant with St. Luke's University Health Network.She said it is part of a program throughout the health network promoting walking.Initially, it was a joint effort by the St. Luke's University Health Network and Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, using the facilities along the corridor."It's good for physical health and mental health," she said. "We're promoting this not only for the school district but for the entire community."Although the track is opened daily for walking, the "Get Your Tail on the Trail" program is each Monday until Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m.Lister said, "It doesn't cost any money and it's a good way to be active.""We're just happy to showcase our stadium with 'Get your tail on the trail,'" said Kristen Black, athletic director for Panther Valley.Black said participating in the inaugural laps of the program were members of the high school's volleyball and football teams, including head volleyball coach Nancy Filer and head football coach Matt Davis."It's a great event," said Bill Moyer, president of St. Luke's Miners Campus. "It's part of the goal of 'Get your tail on the trail' to get people out and exercise. It's nothing competitive. It's just some of us getting together each week."Kim Otto, a nurse practitioner for St. Luke's, said the local project was a joint effort for her; Vanessa Perez, also a nurse practitioner; and Lister."We work with a lot of people in the community and realize that exercise is what some of our patients really need," Otto said. "We gave Rosemarie the idea and she put it together."Individuals who walk can use a pedometer to keep track of how many steps they take. They can use the tally to raise money for Panther Valley School District, which is donated by St. Luke's.Lister said an accumulative 5,000 miles nets $250 for the school, while 10,000 miles earns $500 for the school.More information is available for walkers when they show up to participate.