Loyola Marymount University and Loyola Law School staff and faculty participated in—and won—the annual AJCU Go Move Challenge, a lighthearted competition among AJCU institutions to record their physical activity minutes to earn the title of most active. A nod to its Lion identity, LMU took part in the Go Move Challenge as team “One Pride.” This year, 20 of the 28 AJCU member institutions took part.
Spearheaded by LMU’s wellness guru, Marieclare Sia, senior wellness strategist and advisor, and her team of two—Michelle Panuncialman, LMU Wellbeing administrative coordinator, and Sarah Harris, talent acquisition partner, the One Pride | Go Move Challenge is about more than steps and scoreboards. For Sia, it’s a chance to bring the LMU community together. “It’s about engagement. It’s about motivating. It’s about valuing the employees here at LMU and taking a moment to celebrate the mission,” she said. “At the end of the day, the mission’s not just words on a website. It’s actually the people,” she added, emphasizing that the heart of LMU’s mission lies in its community.
A signature event of the Go Move Challenge was the One Pride Community Walk, held Thursday, Feb. 26, simultaneously at the Westchester and LLS campuses. The walk brought colleagues together from across the university to step away from their jobs, get moving, and connect in person.
Nancy Pluzdrak, LMU’s vice president of human resources, kicked off the Community Walk, welcoming participants and highlighting the importance of building community through wellness initiatives. Watch the video to hear her remarks.
In addition to faculty and staff, President Poon and his wife, Cathy Irwin, Ph.D., joined the walk and took part in the fun, showing their support for the university’s commitment to wellness and community.
The numbers tell the story:
- 48 LMU teams created
- 57 departments participated
- 660 employees joined the challenge
- 141,394 minutes logged by LMU
- 719,516 total minutes recorded across participants
If you couldn’t join the walk, you can still celebrate the win! Head over to the One Pride Challenge on Teams to check out photos and videos from the event.