The Dakota Medical Foundation has awarded a $2,500 grant to Walk North Dakota, the North Dakota State University Extension Service program that encourages people to become more physically active for better health.

""We're very pleased to receive this grant because it allows us to enhance our program,"" says Linda Hauge, Walk North Dakota coordinator.

Walk North Dakota challenges participants to work up to walking at least 10,000 steps a day. That's the equivalent of walking five miles a day, five days a week, or 200 miles during each eight-week session.

Walkers can join the program as individuals or part of a group. Participants simply need to report the number of steps they've taken every two weeks. They can make the report online or by postcard.

All participants who report the required four times receive incentive prizes. They also have their name placed in a drawing for $100.

In the latest session, which ended March 3, 271 people walked 87,303,029 steps, or about 540,000 miles.

""In addition to monitoring steps, we use an online survey to get feedback from our participants,"" says Julie Garden-Robinson, Extension food and nutrition specialist. ""According to the evaluation results for this round of Walk North Dakota, about 63 percent of the people who used pedometers to monitor their steps have increased their daily level of activity. Participants have commented on having more energy, losing weight and feeling a sense of accomplishment. That's great news.""

The approximately 2,500 people who have participated in Walk North Dakota since it started in 2004 have logged a total of 1,078,116,427 steps.

""I'm delighted that people are continuing to take part in the Walk North Dakota challenge,"" Hauge says.

The next session will run from April 15 to June 9. The registration fee is $10 per person for participants 19 and older and $5 for those 18 and younger. To sign up or for more information about Walk North Dakota, visit its Web site at www.walknd.com.

The Fargo-based Dakota Medical Foundation focuses on improving access to medical and dental care, especially for children. It has invested in excess of $28 million in more than 275 nonprofit organizations to help them measurably improve health and health-care access.

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