Take the Lake Schedule

=====  S A T U R D A Y  =====

7:15 am – Check-in for Walk/Run at state park (8 am Start)

6 pm – Nash Vegas concert, across from Dale’s

Adults: $10, Under 12: $5

=====  S U N D A Y =====

7:15 am – Check-in for Paddle at Dale’s (8 am Start)

1:15 pm Check-in for Bike & Hike at Dale’s (2 pm Start)

=====  M O N D A Y =====

7:30 am – Check-in for Swim at Dale’s or dam (8 am Start)

John McNeill with one of his masterpiece signs.

Mile markers are up all around Lake Waccamaw and people everywhere are exercising and getting ready for Take the Lake, the simplest, yet toughest community event in the region. With 384 people pre-registered for the four Personal Endurance Challenges, organizers are getting ready for an exciting weekend.

The events should be exciting to watch, so those not participating may visit the lake just to watch an expected 100 kayaks take off from the public beach at Dale’s Sunday morning, or more than 400 bicycles from Dale’s parking lot Sunday afternoon.

The Walk/Run will start things off at 8 a.m. Saturday at the state park visitors center. Entries could exceed 400 people, and parking will be along the park road, so carpooling and arriving early are encouraged.

Lake residents may wish to bicycle or get rides to the center. Check-in begins at 7:15 a.m.

As they enter and wait for the start, participants may wish to speak with Natalee Whitaker, the first Take the Lake “celebrity participant.” Whitaker was selected recently as a “fit mom” by a regional magazine for her successes with long-distance running and triathletic events while growing and raising a family.

At the starting bell, runners will lead walkers out of the park, and head north on Bella Coola Road. Motorists are asked to use caution on Lake Shore Drive and Canal Cove Road between 9-11 a.m., as the route should be heavily congested.

Organizers chose to save the 4.5-mile walk through the state park for the final leg of this event, rather than send more than 300 people straight onto the narrow wooded trail.

Lake resident and community supporter John McNeill is scheduled to ring the starting bell at all four challenges, so participants will enjoy his cheer for every start, and then will receive the John A. McNeill Award at the finish of the Walk/Run, the Bike and Hike and the Paddle. Successful swimmers will receive the Lee J. Greer Award.

Saturday evening brings a welcome break with an exciting concert at 6 p.m. as Nash Vegas takes the stage on the lakeside lawn of the N.C. Boys and Girls Homes across from Dale’s Restaurant. This band has a dedicated following in Dunn, and will share a blend of beach, pop, rock, R&B and top-40 favorites. Tickets for the concert are $10 adults and $5 for 12 and under.

Sunday is a full day with morning and afternoon challenges.

Organizers scheduled the paddle for 8 a.m., hoping for calmer waters, with check-in at 7:15. Nearly 80 people have signed up for this challenge, and more than 100 are expected, crowding the public beach with colorful kayaks and canoes.

Parking will not be allowed at Dale’s front lot or the beach as participants unload their kayaks or canoes. Direction of travel for the paddlers will be determined that morning based on wind patterns.

Civilian “Paddle Patrol” boaters will supplement and assist Lake Waccamaw firefighters, park rangers and sheriff’s deputies by cruising around the lake near the no-wake zone and watching for paddlers in distress. Boaters wishing to provide this valuable service may just do so at their leisure.

This challenge will last 4-6 hours, and most paddlers will have returned as cyclists arrive for the Bike and Hike at 1:15 p.m. Sunday, getting ready for the 2 o’clock start.

With 300-400 bicycles crowding Dale’s front lot, the start of the Bike & Hike should be exciting. At the bell, they will proceed down Canal Cove Road toward the dam, with the faster cyclists taking the lead.

The town, the park and residents will have prepared the dam for easier passage, with a makeshift bridge over the river, and sandbags to aid in the short climb up the dam wall.

Once in the park, cyclists will become hikers as they push their bikes along the beautiful, yet bumpy and sandy trails, hugging the shoreline until they reach the campground.

New this year, park Superintendent Chris Helms has tried to make the “hike” portion shorter by allowing cyclists to ride bikes through the campground.

The trail there is very sandy, though, so bikes will have to be pushed part of that way. Cyclists will be strongly urged to keep in the road and not damage the shoulders.

Back on their bikes, the next obstacle is the construction site at Big Creek. The State Department of Transportation will barricade a right lane for cyclists. This lane will pass through most of the site up to Big Creek itself, which will have a single lane.

A Lake Waccamaw Police officer will direct traffic over Big Creek.

From there, it’s only a short three-mile ride back to Dale’s.

Monday marks the traditional Labor Day Swim, which has been conducted since at least the 1940s. More than 50 swimmers are expected for the largest swim ever, and organizers will divide the route into two lanes. Swimmers with paddle-powered escorts will travel on the side closest to shore, and those with motorboat escorts will travel on the other side.

The swim route will be denoted with large yellow balloons, and other boaters on the lake are encouraged to avoid the area and to use caution when near it between 8 a.m. and noon Monday.

Volunteers are always needed, and helping out at a challenge or two is a great way for families to stay together at these events. Volunteer coordinator Julie Stocks may be contacted at 646-3583 or on location.

The event’s website, Takethelake.org offers last-minute instructions and what-to-pack lists.

We have no rain plans for Take the Lake this year, because it looks very likely that skies will be clear all weekend. Come on out and enjoy this unique community fitness event with us!

Not a problem, though, as you may still register at any of the Personal Endurance Challenges – just show up early. Check-in begins usually 45 minutes before each challenge, and you’ll have all that time to meet old friends and new friends from all over the place. Here is who has signed up so far:

• Total preregistered: 384
• Total Personal Endurance Challenges: 593
  
• Females: 215   Males: 169
• Walk / Runners: 238
• Paddlers: 78
• Bike & Hikers: 232
• Swimmers:  45
• From Lake Waccamaw: 62
• From Whiteville: 93
• From Wilmington: 34
  

Committee member Eric Brandt presents the Take the Lake story to PPD employees recently, one of many talks he has given to promote Take the Lake in the region.

Mark Gilchrist, left and Brett Gore, right, leave for the Kayak leg of a Take the Lake Extreme pilot run. This was the only time in 14 miles that Gilchrist's kayak was ahead of Gore's. (Debbie Sarvis photo)

It sure was a long day of walking in circles – and cycling and paddling, and swimming… but it was all worth it in a crazy sort of way, when Saturday, Brett Gore, 47, and Mark Gilchrist, 50, completed a pilot run of Take the Lake X-treme (or whatever we’ll call it.)

The men started out about 6:20 a.m. on the Bike & Hike, which went rather quick, and were able to get in the water for the swim at about 8:30 a.m. They had a fast lunch after and began kayaking shortly before 1 p.m., and after a small dinner, began their walk around 6 p.m. or so. When they finished the Walk / Run (they walked) at 10:30 p.m., and a supporter asked how he felt, Gilchrist said he was “on top of the world.”

It is hoped that an “extreme” type event involving all of the Take the Lake Personal Endurance Challenges may motivate people even more to realize their physical potential.

Two aging members of the Take the Lake Committee will attempt to complete all four Personal Endurance Challenges in a single day Saturday (Aug. 28) so that someday, everyone else may have the same opportunity.

The daylong endurance test, achieved in 2009 by 28-year-old Russell Smith of Whiteville, may become a separate event, called Take the Lake X-treme, if the committee can design it for the public.

As planned, Brett Gore and Mark Gilchrist will begin at 6 a.m., completing the Bike & Hike first, then will swim shortly before 8 a.m. They will begin paddling just after noon, and will take on the Walk / Run after 5 p.m. Gore, 47, and Gilchrist, 50, with the help of their stellar support crew, hope to finish well before midnight. They will post their progress after every leg on Whiteville.com, in This Just In.

After the Walk / Run Saturday, come back to the Lake for an exciting party Saturday night! Nash Vegas, a swingin’ party band has a large following in Dunn, and will share its blend of rock, country and shag dance music with us.

The lawn of the Boys & Girls Homes near Dale’s will be packed with people enjoying the music. This concert will begin the SCC 2010 Richard F. Burkhart Performing Arts Series and will be just the festive time we’ll need to celebrate Take the Lake. Hundreds of people will have already completed the 15-mile Walk / Run, one of the hardest Personal Event Challenges of the TTL four. Even hundreds more will be ready to paddle 14 miles the next morning or Bike & Hike 15 miles Sunday afternoon.

Some think that Take the Lake is too good to be true, and we think they’re right! Not only is it free to enter, but you get a nifty numbered “racing” bib to take home with you, and water and snacks to put in your belly. When you finish – and we know you’ll finish! – you will be handed an official 2010 Take the Lake John A. McNeill Award for the Walk / Run, the Bike & Hike or the Paddle. Here are the award tokens (front shown) for 2010.

Swimmers, as usual, will receive the Lee J. Greer award, a gold coin donated by Colliers Jewelers.

The official 2010 Take the Lake fundraiser t-shirts have arrived, and are available at Herald Office Systems next to The News Reporter in Whiteville. Those who prepaid for shirts may pick them up from Mark Gilchrist at The News Reporter. A very limited quantity of hats are available for $7, and about 100 oval bumper stickers are $1.

Brett Gore and his father, Jackson, had a heck of a time Saturday on Lake Waccamaw with a small crew mounting mile marker signs on 14 of the 126 or so no-wake poles around the lake.

A project of Take the Lake, and funded by Columbus County Healthy Carolinians with a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the 12″ x 18″ signs were made by DOT Enterprises to DOT specs.

With a starting point near the Lake Waccamaw State Park visitors center, miles 1-10 match almost exactly with mile markers 1-10 soon to be erected on roadsides around the lake, running in a counter-clockwise direction. Miles 11-14 run along the the state park shoreline and approximately match miles 11-15 in the park.

Soon, there won’t be a person in Columbus County who doesn’t know about Take the Lake, as Col. Cnty. Healthy Carolinians has provided two large banners promoting the fitness event.

One is hanging in front of Columbus Regional HealthCare in Whiteville and the other stretches across the top floor of Dale’s at the lake. Both are Take the Lake sponsors, and both are proud to help people Take the Lake!

Everyone is encouraged to pre-register ASAP at Takethelake.org and to train AHAP (as hard as possible) because the better shape you’re in, the better able you will be to Take the Lake!

Well, not a lot of history to go by, but registrations for the 2010 Take the Lake have well surpassed those of 2009, perhaps because of the success of last year’s event, but also due to the realization people have that registering early has many benefits.

Take the Lake is not just a walk in the park – although it includes a beautiful one – but it is four formidable Personal Endurance Challenges that require training and preparation. Even though online registration for Take the Lake is simple, painless and free, it is a significant psychological step and helps participants “officially” enter the training stage.

Also, the 2010 Take the Lake T-shirts will be on sale soon.  They will have green and black colors on athletic-gray cotton, and since they look similar to the 2009 shirts, and those sold out, we hope these will too! To secure yours, bring or mail a check for $10 each shirt to Mark, at The News Reporter, 127 W. Columbus St. or mail through P.O. Box 707 in Whiteville, NC 28482.

If you haven’t registered, we hope you will today, and start training for the achievement of your lifetime!

The runner-up “fit mom” in a regional parenting publication will take first place in the eyes of mothers around Columbus County as she inspires them in their preparation for Take the Lake next month. Natalee Whittington Whitaker, a Southeastern Community College and UNC-Wilmington graduate living in Greenville, will be the first “celebrity participant” for the annual Labor Day weekend of fitness called Take the Lake.

Whitaker will return to her home-place Labor Day weekend, appearing at the state park Visitors Center Saturday, Sept. 4 with her family at the opening of the three-day event to send off her husband Kevin on the Walk/Run. She will spend time there to discuss with participants challenges and tips for raising a fit family.

Whitaker will participate in the Bike & Hike Sunday and the swim Monday, joining Kevin, who will also accept the paddle challenge. So, with the moral support of their children and parents, Rita Capps and Gary Whittington of Whiteville, “Team Whitaker” has accepted and intends to complete all four Take the Lake Personal Endurance Challenges.

Along with the daily chores of managing a family, Whitaker, a wife and mother of two, has found her own inspiration in exercise.

“This is my sanity,” she said, “Instead of going shopping, I train. Everyone has to release stress and anxiety at times, and cycling, running, swimming or just exercising helps me do that.” She can’t always be with her children while she exercises, but she understands that fitness for one makes better health for all. So she tells her children, “I owe it to you all to take better care of myself.” And they will soon understand that caring for their own fitness and health will help their own families grow strong.

Whitaker gets her greatest motivation when she can find a way to “set a goal and step outside of my comfort zone,” she said. The Bike & Hike should be easy for her, but she’s looking forward to Labor Day, when she will attempt to swim the longest distance of her life.

That’s the kind of challenge that keeps her going, with the actual swim just the icing on the cake. She likes to find a significant challenge that is scheduled months away, and then train for it. Each day she wakes up with thoughts of being closer and more fit and ready for that “big day.”

Whitaker also finds strength in Kevin, an N.C. Guardsman. “We motivate each other,” she said. For the Whitaker’s efforts, Kevin will receive two John A. McNeill awards, while Natalee will receive one JAMA for the Bike & Hike and one Lee J. Greer award for the swim.

The JAMA is a custom-made resin token donated by the McNeill family, and the Lee J. Greer award is a gold coin that Colliers Jewelers has donated to swimmers for decades.

An expansion of the Labor Day Swim and the newer Walk/Run around Lake Waccamaw, Take the Lake is in its second official year, and organizers hope to double last year’s participation of more than 400 people completing more than 500 challenges. Early registration is encouraged at Takethelake.org.

Whitaker, who was recognized in the Eastern Carolina Parent magazine’s second annual Fit Mom contest, is far from being a full-time athlete, exercising as little as three times a week for a half hour. Some days she’ll burn up an hour or more, and in triathlon season she’ll train up to six days a week, but it’s a flexible schedule that often includes her family.

“It’s fun to get out there and exercise together,” she said. In a few years, the Whitaker children may take on a Personal Endurance Challenge or two, and Noah, 5, ran in his first race recently. It was only one mile, but it took Noah much further, from an anxious contender to an excited and successful participant.

“After the race, he told me ‘I was so nervous before, but I want to do another one next weekend!’” Natalee said. It’s the confidence of success that brings with it a healthier son and a healthier family, and as a fit mom, for Natalee Whitaker that is a first-place finish for the greatest success of all.

This article originally appeared in the August 5, 2010 edition of The News Reporter.

The 2009 Take the Lake T-shirt

The 2009 Take the Lake T-shirts were so popular, we sold out early and had to order seconds. Not sure we can do that this year, but you can make sure you get yours – and save a few bucks while you’re at it!

(8-8-8)  Shirts are only $8 before Aug. 8, so send in a check today and you won’t miss out. Here are the details:

- Sizes are all adult: S, M, L, XL & XXL

- We’re not sure of the colors or design yet, but if you think they’re ugly, we’ll give you your money right back.

- Make check payable to Take the Lake

- Mail or deliver check with names and sizes noted to Mark Gilchrist at The News Reporter, P.O. Box 707, Whiteville, NC 28472

Mark Gilchrist, left, a Take the Lake organizer and SCC Presents host Sue Hawks discuss the Labor Day Weekend event.

Sue Hawks and the crew from SCC Presents, the cable television show of Southeastern Community College, have obliged us again with a Take the Lake promotional episode, which they taped July 21 on the shore of Lake Waccamaw.

We discussed everything that is new about the event this year, and reviewed each Personal Endurance Challenge – it’s a Must-Not-Miss for anyone considering Take the Lake.

The half-hour show should be broadcast soon, so check your listings and don’t miss SCC Presents. Also on the program were Julie Stocks and Olivia Lake Stocks, who introduced the Saturday evening concert.

By MARK GILCHRIST
Chief Photographer

I’ve told many people in the past year that the most difficult step in “taking the lake” isn’t made on Labor Day weekend – it’s the great step you take when you first commit to one or more Personal Endurance Challenges.

That’s the step when people simply stop letting themselves believe that they cannot achieve one of the four PECs of Take the Lake, and they resolve that they can. It comes when they stop believing that fitness is something they don’t need, and they see how vital it is, not only for a longer life, but for their quality of life.

That is the biggest step of all, I tell people, and the rest is easy.

But enough of my talk – let’s hear the voices of participants in last year’s Take the Lake.

Of the people who took a survey following the 2009 Take the Lake, more than nine out of 10 par-ticipants in the Walk / Run had never walked that far before, encouraging news to anyone with doubts. About two out of three of the cyclists, and four out of every five paddlers and swimmers surpassed any limit they’d ever had.

When asked what drove them to train for and participate in Take the Lake despite their lack of experience, overwhelmingly most people answered “sheer determination,” giving us insight into what drives us to succeed.

Many participants said they would accept more PECs next time, which we took to mean that their success last year compelled them to achieve even greater feats.

Most people described their success as “darned good,” which gave us on the committee big smiles all around. From the start, we have designed, marketed and organized Take the Lake as an event for the average person, suppressing the urge to target triathletes and marathoners who are already fit and don’t need our help. Certainly, we invite and welcome avid athletes, as they do inspire us, but nothing rocks our lake like the sound of a breathless person at our finish line saying “But, I never thought I could do this!”

Not sure if you have the right gear? Our cyclists and kayakers can help you. More than half of the cyclists in 2009 rode mountain bikes, and about a third rode beach cruisers or “old clunkers,” while very few rode racing bikes.
The largest group of paddlers sat in plastic kayaks, while only about a third used “fast, expensive” kayaks. Very few used canoes or the ocean kayaks that you sit on top of.

Regarding the “hike” part of the Bike & Hike, about 80 percent said it was anywhere from “tough, but good” to “awesome,” so we’ll keep that PEC. People have offered many alternatives to the stroll along the park trails, everything from ferrying 500 bicycles on trailers or boats between the park and the dam, to paving the trail, to just giving up on the whole “take” part of Take the Lake and riding back and forth on the roads. We’ll keep it like it is.

Thinking of swimming the lake and are you wondering which stroke to use? About half the people who responded to our survey said they used “whatever works,” while nearly that many swam freestyle the entire four miles. Only one person did the backstroke.

Speaking of the swim, we are introducing the Silver Swim Relay for Labor Day Swim veterans age 55 and older. We piloted this last year and are making it an official event to encourage our senior swimmers to stay in the water for one of the healthiest exercises going. Colliers Jewelry in Whiteville is donating silver coin medallions like the gold ones they have given to swimmers for decades.

The Silver Swim Relay is the only relay allowed, so please don’t start planning a bike, walk or paddle relay – at least not during Take the Lake.

We asked for suggestions to anyone considering a PEC, and we got great comments like “Believe in yourself!” and “Do it!” Others suggested enlisting friends to join you.

Take the Lake is still a free event. We’re not asking you to raise money for a charity and we’re not asking you to join a race. All we ask is that you take it seriously, and that you register early and train accordingly. Certainly, most people can accomplish a PEC without training – and that can make for some odd kind of bragging rights – but you will accomplish it faster, better and with less chance of injury if you train.

The real goal of Take the Lake is to give people a “higher mountain to climb,” or an achievement to make them feel proud. If you can do one PEC without effort, then maybe you could try two, or three, or try to complete them even faster. Take the Lake is the brass ring for which you will strive for your best, strongest, healthiest and most powerful you.

About one-third of our respondents said they would consider an event held on a separate day that includes all four PECs, so we’re pretty psyched about organizing a pilot “Take the Lake Extreme” event this year and maybe introducing it officially next year.

Before you begin a PEC, we’ll register you and give you a numbered bib to pin to your shirt, and when you finish, we’ll let you know how fast you completed the PEC and we’ll give you a memento of your success.

When you complete the Walk / Run, the Bike & Hike or the paddle, the McNeill family will present you with a John A. McNeill Award, and for the swim, Colliers Jewelers will present you with their Lee J. Greer Award.
And we hope at that point, you will take the first, big step toward next year, and your fitness for the rest of your life.

Experience the intense dedication of the Take the Lake organizing committee with the just-released min-doc on the “Redneck Endless Pool,” with sincere apologies to the makers of the beautiful, real Endless Pool.

Mark Gilchrist demonstrates how you can train for the 4-mile Take the Lake Personal Endurance Swim Challenge without having to worry about getting lost or hit by Jet Skis. It’s an eye-opening video due to Mark’s glaring farmer’s tan, but mercifully, it’s also short. Please leave a comment with your favorite training method!

Click here to view the video.

The CREW token

New in 2010, the CREW token! It all started decades ago, when organizers of the Labor Day Swim awarded successful swimmers with certificates and then gold coins (donated by Colliers Jewelers.) In 2009, Take the Lake organizers expanded that tradition by awarding successful walkers, cyclists and paddlers with colorful custom-made J.A.M.A. tokens. The John A. McNeill Award is donated by the McNeill family, long supporters of the Labor Day Swim and of the fitness and health of Columbus County residents.

The CREW token is very much like the J.A.M.A., except for the word “CREW” on the front in place of the Personal Endurance Challenge name, and the back side is blank – good for writing a small inscription of thanks.

A limited number of CREW tokens will be available for a small donation during Take the Lake, so you can get several and give them to all your friends and family who supported and inspired you during your training and completion of your Take the Lake Personal Endurance Challenges.

Kasey Barker holds the Mile 15 sign that will be placed at the finish line of the Take the Lake Walk / Run and Bike & Hike.

Very soon, walkers, cyclists and paddlers around Lake Waccamaw will have a better idea of the distances of their exercise routines when crews install permanent mile markers on the roads and no-wake poles around the lake.

Produced by Take the Lake and paid for with a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, through Healthy Carolinians, the signs will help the hundreds of participants walking, cycling and paddling around the lake every Labor Day weekend, but their duty won’t stop there.

Most of the 15 markers will be up year-round to help people maintain their exercise routines. Ten markers will be on public roads, measuring the miles from the start line at the Lake Waccamaw State Park visitors center, around the lake to Waccamaw Shores. These signs will be TarHeel blue and white.

Accuracy of the markers is expected to be within one foot every half mile, thanks to N.C. Department of Transportation employee Terry Church, who surveyed the route and measured each mile outside the park.

Markers inside the park will be state park brown and white, and ones on the hiking trails will be permanent. Park rangers will temporarily install signs on the paved park roads each year during Take the Lake.

A corresponding set of (14) markers will be installed on no-wake poles on the lake. They will match the road markers as close as possible, given the placement of the poles and the fact that the water route is one mile shorter than the land route.

Lake Waccamaw town employees will install road markers outside the park and Take the Lake volunteers will install ones on the lake.

In addition to aiding boaters in navigating the lake, it is expected that the mile markers may be helpful in water emergencies. Boaters in distress may be better able to provide their location after siting a mile marker, either one near them or one they had recently passed. Also, with the water and land miles matching, rescuers may be better able to coordinate operations.

TTL committee member Eric Brandt came up with a great idea. The week before the 2009 Take the Lake, we printed and hung “door hanger” flyers on every door around the lake. Their job was to alert the residents that we were coming and to ask their help (and forgiveness!) Well, the response was terrific, but some people said they wished we had done it earlier to give them more time to prepare or train for Take the Lake.

So, Eric suggested we hang another set of flyers for the July 4 weekend, and we did, and everyone we talked to is psyched about Take the Lake, and we still have two months to train! Thanks to Patty Lyerly for sponsoring this item, and we printed a few extra thousand so we’ll have plenty to pass around.

By MARK GILCHRIST
Chief Photographer

Along with the four Personal Event Challenges of Take the Lake this year, we’re introducing a fifth event, the party.

We were thrilled last year with the hospitable response from Lake residents toward participants who walked, rode and paddled past their homes. They waved and cheered and even handed out water and snacks. Certainly appreciated were the many signs and posters motivating participants forward.

Take the Lake – which is only about 11 weeks away, on Labor Day weekend – is four fitness events on and around Lake Waccamaw. We refer to those events as Personal Endurance Challenges because, while they are not races, they are not cakewalks, either. The Walk/Run and the Bike & Hike are 15 miles long, the Paddle is 14 miles long, and the Swim is four miles.

These are formidable challenges requiring preparation, and most participants will likely train for the summer, and then stay in pretty good shape the rest of the year. This isn’t the most rigid fitness program going, but it sure can help keep you off that slippery slope of declining fitness through the years.
But, back to the party. Many residents last year had the clever idea of inviting friends and family to join them for the weekend. This is what we want to encourage, and in true Take the Lake style, we’re encouraging it in a big way.

Similar to hospitality houses at golf tournaments and major events – and what you see along parade routes during festivals here – we’re encouraging people to throw their own parties Labor Day weekend, and make Take the Lake a part of it all.

On the front lawns, I love to see the water stands and posters, but I’d also love to see who’s showing the spirit. Tabor City and Chadbourn middle schools inspired me last year when they displayed their school names, and I think schools, organizations, businesses and other groups can make their presence known around the lake that weekend.

Show the colors, with banners, signs, custom tents, etc. Think Relay for Life, without fund raising. (Take the Lake, after all, is all about your health.)

For an example, I spoke with Columbus County Library Director Morris Pridgen the other day, and this concept played out nicely – even though we have no idea if the library will be able to participate in this way this year.

What an organization like the library could do, for example, is, well, first, find someone with a home on the Take the Lake route around Lake Waccamaw – not too hard when there are 500 of them.

Then plan the party. Maybe a “Columbus County Library Loves You!” banner out front, and a few books, for atmosphere? Then start inviting librarians – and this is where the fun begins.

Fun, with librarians? You bet. There are a half-dozen library branches around the county, and employees at them seldom get to meet each other, so this is a great opportunity for employee fellowship and networking.

And, it’s cheap. Make it a potluck affair if you like, and make it as large or as small as you like. You don’t have to host everyone the entire weekend, just at the times that you feel are best. Remember, Take the Lake is free this year, and that’s great for any budget.

The excitement begins on Saturday morning with the Walk/Run. In 2009, we had well more than 200 people walking the four streets around the lake, (and this year we’re hoping for twice that many). This should be over in time for a late lunch for our librarians, their families and friends.

On Sunday, paddlers will circle the lake in the morning (when it should be calmer) and the Bike & Hikers in the afternoon, so any of our librarians not participating in either of those events may enjoy a morning on the beach watching paddlers float by, or the afternoon encouraging cyclists.

The Boys and Girls Homes chapel rescheduled its Sunday service last year to accommodate participants, and the campground has an outdoor service, which can all help make the weekend complete.

I see enthusiasm building through the weekend as some librarians work on their Personal Endurance Challenges and achieve goals beyond what they had thought possible. They may cheer and encourage each other as they work toward healthier lifestyles.

Ask any expert and they’ll tell you that one of the best things you can have in your fitness program is a partner who will encourage and motivate you, and these “parties” are really all about building teams and integrating support to build a healthier Columbus County.

But it gets even better. Why stop with just this county’s library? Invite some employees from surrounding counties to visit Lake Waccamaw that weekend. They can share librarian stories and compare overdue fines.

They may actually hold an educational seminar (librarians do that sort of thing) Saturday afternoon.

Let’s show everybody around the Carolinas what a beautiful county we have, and how we are forward-thinking people taking positive steps for our health.

If this works, then eventually, groups could hold team-building events, friendly competitions (the book-shelving relay?) or even clinics on cycling, paddling, swimming or other cool outdoor activities. We don’t mind starting out small, though, so just do what you’re comfortable with, and let it grow from there.

Someone mentioned this might be a good time to hand out literature promoting a company or organization, but I bet that won’t work. These participants are in the middle of a great challenge and they will not want to stop and discuss anything but the finish line, and they will not want to carry anything with them.

Monday morning is the swim, the oldest and greatest challenge, but also not a crowd-pleaser. So, for the most part, Saturday and Sunday should be the big days at your hospitality house, with Monday as a wind-down.

I see alumni joining in on the fun. Groups from SCC, the UNC system, Wake Forest, Duke and others could host reunions around the lake. Spend part of the weekend improving your health and the rest, your spirit.

This should be a beautiful weekend for church groups, corporations, civic clubs, outdoors groups, healthcare professionals, fire departments, rescue squads, scout troops and packs, family reunions and many others.

It can give people the chance to participate in Take the Lake with their friends, and it also gives the people who can’t participate – or just don’t care to – a chance to join in the fun of the weekend.

Take the Lake, after all, is all about fitness, and if it’s not fun, then it’s not fitness for life.

Riders in 2005 camped in the WHS gym.

Cycle NC is back! The very popular, really cool cross-state bicycle trip is returning to Columbus County in early October. They have brought their 1,200+ cyclists through here three times, and we partied with them each time. Looks like they have 500+ riders signed up already.

Even better, why not join in their fun? The escorted and catered ride begins in Asheville and ends in Ocean Isle Beach. You can ride the whole way, (about 400 miles,) or you can ride just a day or two. The last day of the trip, Saturday, Oct. 2, is 47 miles from Whiteville to Ocean Isle Beach. Registration for one day is $50 per adult. Hey, registration for Take the Lake is still free, but we won’t carry your luggage or give you a gym floor to sleep on!

Visit Cycle NC through the North Carolina Amateur Sports web site or click here.

We’re very pleased to announce our first celebrity participant; Mrs. Natalee Whittington Whitaker, from Whiteville. The mother of two was recently featured by a regional magazine as one of our state’s healthiest mothers. Eastern Carolina Parent Magazine gave Natalee the runner-up nod in its Fit Mom contest, and she and her husband Kevin – who now live in the Greenville area –  will bring their children to Columbus County  on Labor Day weekend to encourage others toward healthier lifestyles.

Read Natalee’s inspiring story from a recent edition of The News Reporter. Click here for “She’s second in Fit Mom contest”

Just posted recommended training schedules for the four Personal Endurance Challenges. Accept a challenge or two today, and you’ll be ready by Labor Day – just set your mind to it, and nothing can stop you!

You’ll find a training schedule under the tab for each Personal Endurance Challenge.

Take the Lake was present at the 2nd annual CRHS Family Health Fair today, and we (Gina Deans & Mark Gilchrist) spread the word to about 200 attendees.

OOPS, I have been neglecting the other healthful events here (competitive runs) and will print a schedule to hand out at other fairs. In fact, I’ll make one for this site, so we can all work together for the better health of Columbus County! Look for it under the Community tab, and please contact us with any additions or corrections.

Click here for the video slideshow.

We just loaded the Labor Day Swim Registry onto this new site, and added the names of the 28 swimmers who finished in 2009. (Find the Registry under the swim tab, above.) Do you know anyone in the registry? Did we leave any names out or do you have photos to add? Please let us know by posting a comment!

We will soon see green & gold everywhere, as the posters, brochures and cards have arrived and are ready for distribution. if you would like some materials for your business, organization or church, just contact us and we’ll find a way to get some to you!

We love this time of year, because it’s when everybody starts talking about Take the Lake, and people resume their preparations for their Personal Endurance Challenges.

We have thousands of posters, brochures and cards ready to begin our march of fitness toward Labor Day. You will soon see the gold and green things everywhere, until you’re darned ready to hike 15 miles just so you don’t have to see them anymore!

No need to register yet. We have to figure out how to do this effectively and, well, for free. Most of the event registration companies charge about two bucks per registrant, which just won’t work for us. Feel free to leave a comment below, or anywhere on this site. Tell us how you feel, and you’ll feel better!