Serve Magazine from Concordia Plan Services Winter 2017 | Page 8

Champions for the Cause
n 2016, many of our Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS)
ministries designated a Wellness
Champion to encourage their staff to
lead healthier lives and create a culture
of wellness. Being asked to advocate a
cause may sound daunting, but many
Wellness Champions found that they
could effect change simply by encour-
aging and leading by example. wellness long before the Champion
program began. Some worked out
alongside the teams they coached
to model the importance of physical
activity. Others sparked discussions
about nutrition by eating healthy
lunches. Still others, including Roeske,
participated in local fun runs and
encouraged other staff members
and parents to join in. Through that
process, many got hooked on the
benefits of running and walking.
Such is the case at Sheboygan Lutheran
High School (LHS) in Sheboygan, Wisc.
Wellness Champion Jenna Roeske,
along with other members of the
school and staff, started promoting In 2015, the school created the “Spirit
of Wellness Run,” their own running
and walking event. That year LHS
hosted the event in memory of Margie
Hasenstein, who was the mother of
BY Steve Gruenwald
I
(Top right) Spirit of Wellness Dri-FIT t-shirts — sporting the signature green of LHS — proved the
perfect race apparel for a rainy-day race.
(Bottom right) Wellness Champion and expectant mother Jenna Roeske is clearly excited she can
keep up with husband Tom Roeske at mile one. Both are teachers at LHS.
(Below) Members of Luther Memorial congregation come together to support LHS through the
Spirit of Wellness Run (and to enjoy family time together)! Pictured left to right: Rev. Matthew
Peters, Harvey Peters, Catherine Peters, Heather Peters and Robin Kanitz.
three LHS cross-country runners.
For the 2016 event, they focused on
the school’s mission of “Preparing
Christian Leaders, One Student at a
Time” and used the event’s proceeds
to provide tuition assistance. To
further promote wellness, the run/walk
was combined with a wellness fair with
food, music and fellowship.
The organizers involved faculty, staff,
students, parents and the surround-
ing LCMS community in the event.
Cross-country coaches and runners
set up the course and directed
participants along the way. LHS
students signed up and brought their
parents to participate. The faculty and