Boothbay Region High School (BRHS) Student Health Advisory Board held Wellness Day 2025 on April 9, offering dozens of health-related activities across four schedule-blocks for students to participate. The day ended with an assembly in the gym and a fat tire bicycle competition.

Early that morning, the hallways buzzed as students shuffled to their chosen activities, sharing their schedules and excitement with classmates. Students chose from self-defense taught by the police department, Tai Chi taught by Kristina Vierney and Adriana Depalma from LincolnHealth Education, nutrition taught by integrated health coach Julie Mitchell, Healthy Relationship Jeopardy taught by Karissa Walter of Sexual Assault Support Services of Midcoast Maine, and healthy arts classes; crocheting taught by Tanya Thibault, Tanya Hammond and Tammy Blackman, and rock painting and outdoor crafting taught by Hearty Roots' Misha Barker and Katherine Kirchoff. Fat tire bicycle “races” (bicycles provided by Bath Cycle) and the smoothie bike ran all day in the gym.

But the animals stole the show. Newagen Alpaca Farm brought alpacas for students to walk and pet and Deputy Sam Alexander brought Zeke, a 40-pound black lab police dog in training. Alexander said Zeke has already been on several successful tracks. The deputy also explained the difference between trailing, tracking and scent discrimination. To the untrained eye, Zeke looks and behaves much like a regular black lab, happy being petted and played with by the students.

Afternoon blocks included pickup basketball, tennis, weight lifting, Frisbee, hikes to Penny Lake, and yoga, where students learned to greet the sun with the intention of having an open mind and healthy body (sun salutations). Students could also join a drum circle, take a healthy cooking class where they made egg rolls and quinoa with spicy peanut sauce, and create their own Zen Doodles by guiding a pebble across a canvas.

Raffle prizes were offered to those bringing donations to the school’s snack pantry and those participating in a phone-free day for mental health.

“Wellness Day is a partnership between LincolnHealth’s School Based Health Center and BRHS Student Health Advisory Board. We lost it during COVID-19 but last year, it was brought back by Ariel Alamo. Anything to do with health, you can see, these students do a great job organizing the day so there’s something for everyone,” said Mindy Labrecque of the school Health Center. She and Sara Watts were on hand to assist in the day’s events.

Winners of the fat tire bicycle competition, awarded for the slowest finisher, without stepping off the bike, or straying out of the lane, were Thomas Hennessey (student) and Christopher Liberti (faculty), who unseated reigning champion Kristen Hanley.