Holmes County Take a Hike Event Exceeds Falls Prevention Goal
The September 2025 Take a Hike event, led by the Falls Prevention Program of Holmes and Wayne and the Holmes County General Health District, surpassed its 2,500 mile goal and contributed thousands of steps toward a statewide falls prevention campaign. The community focused initiative engaged older adults in regular activity and highlighted the role of local public health partnerships in preventing falls among residents age 60 and older.
The 2025 Take a Hike event wrapped up in September with organizers reporting that participants walked a total of 3,066 miles, exceeding the program goal of 2,500 miles for the first time since the event began in 2020. Sponsored by the Falls Prevention Program of Holmes and Wayne under the guidance of the Holmes County General Health District and the Standing Against Falls Coalition, Take a Hike was designed to raise awareness about fall risk and to promote daily physical activity for residents age 60 and older.
Sixty individuals formally registered for the event through an online survey or by calling the Holmes County General Health District. Participants were asked to track steps or miles throughout the month. The top 10 registered walkers each recorded at least 241,000 steps in September, an average of roughly 96 miles per person. Together the top 10 contributed 3,290,095 steps, a combined 1,316 miles, and will receive certificates of achievement. Individual top walker mile totals were published in the program report.
Organizers hosted seven in person trail walks during the month, six in Holmes County and one in neighboring Wayne County. Walk locations included Deer Run Park in Millersburg, Nashville Church of Christ Trail in Nashville, Oak Hill Park Trail in Wooster, the Berlin Mennonite Church walking path in Berlin, the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities Trail in Holmesville, the Holmes County Trail at Hipp Station in Millersburg, and the Clark Community Center Trail in Clark. A total of 164 participants joined one or multiple trail walks, broadening access beyond those who registered.
The miles recorded in September translated into 7,665,050 steps submitted to the Ohio Department of Aging s 10 Million Steps to Prevent Falls campaign, connecting local efforts to a statewide movement. Organizers emphasized the importance of regular activity paired with fall prevention education for older adults and offered a contact at the Holmes County General Health District for residents seeking more information.
Beyond the numbers, the event demonstrates the public health value of community programming that combines exercise promotion with targeted education about fall risk. Increasing physical activity among older adults can reduce fall risk, support mobility and independence, and lessen strain on local health services. For Holmes County, the success of Take a Hike underscores the potential impact of continued investment in accessible walking opportunities, community outreach and partnerships between public health agencies and local organizations. Residents interested in participating in future activities or in learning more about fall prevention can reach out to the Holmes County General Health District for details.
