by 
Share On Social!
Did you know San Antonio (67% Latino) is the first U.S. city to conduct a citywide scavenger hunt for free health, wellness, and physical activity events?
It’s called Fit Pass.
You can pick up a pass or download a bilingual Fit Pass app to earn points by attending cool summer wellness activities, starting with a free 5K run and fitness expo at Pearsall Park on Saturday, June 10, 2017. You can earn points and prizes throughout the seven-week program that concludes with another free 5K at LBJ Park on Saturday, July 29, 2017.
The origin of Fit Pass is featured in a new Rivard Report article and Salud Heroes video and story by Amanda Merck of Salud America!, a national Latino healthy weight promotion network based at UT Health San Antonio and funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Fit Pass Origins
Fit Pass started a few years ago under the leadership of Michael Baldwin, a City of San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department worker at the time.
He wanted to start a health scavenger hunt in city parks to attract more people into parks for healthy activities.
“There wasn’t anything like this,” Baldwin said. “We had to develop it from scratch.”
His team fleshed out some ideas:
- Start it in summer to engage out-of-school kids and families.
- Use a downloadable, stamp-and-passport booklet to track participation.
- Fill passports with already existing free and low-cost fitness, wellness, and nutrition activities provided by the city, like Fitness in the Park, and partners, like YMCA of Greater San Antonio, H-E-B, San Antonio Sports, and the Witte Museum.
- Offer prizes for accrued stamps or points.
They tested it in 2013, and every year since it’s grown in size.
“[A point system with prizes for healthy behaviors] is a great incentive for some people, whether you’re aiming to win something, setting goals for yourself, or just competitive by nature,” Baldwin said.
More Healthy Happenings in San Antonio
Merck’s Fit Pass story is part of an innovative partnership between online news outlet Rivard Report and Salud America! to highlight how to help Latinos live healthier.
Check out past articles in the series:
- Salud America!: Health Advocates Slam Industry’s Defense of Sugary Drinks
- Salud America!: How to Fight for Walkable Neighborhoods
- Salud America!: How to Make Every Park a Destination for Fitness
- Salud America!: How to Make Space for Physical Activity
- Salud America!: How to Fight for Breastfeeding in Your City
Stay tuned for more articles!
By The Numbers
33
percent
of Latinos live within walking distance (<1 mile) of a park
