Health-care organizations accept green challenge

A friendly competition between two local health-care organizations hopes to show that people can change their lifestyles to reduce their carbon footprint.

St. Joseph’s Care Group and Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre teamed up to encourage their staff and volunteers to use environmentally friendly transportation. The two health-care organizations goal is to have the highest percentage of healthy commuters participate in the national Commuters Challenge.

About 5,000 staff members and volunteers from both organizations plan to walk, carpool, bike or use transit.

Ron Saddington, president of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, said he hoped to be more environmentally friendly and planned to change his lifestyle beyond the one-week.

"I’m probably going to walk to work," Saddington said. "I think it’s a terrific way for people to change their lifestyles and hopefully, through this challenge, they can decide to do this on a more regular basis."

Commuter Challenge week starts on May 30 and ends on June 5. The competition is open to all individuals and workplaces.