The first six weeks of our joint pilot program has been declared a rousing success. Seventy-three seniors have participated by showing up to walk on the track at the Y between 10 a.m. and noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the last six weeks.

The camaraderie has been great, as people encourage one another to walk more each time, catch up with friends and neighbors and high school buddies, and swap news about grandkids.

Program regulars, Connie and Ira Machon, have been serving as informal greeters. The Wellness Foundation supplies a logbook, mandarin oranges for snacks, and water to keep everyone hydrated. We have several people who use their canes, some use walkers. Jeanne Foster, from the Boothbay Green, carries her portable oxygen, yet she still manages to increase the number of laps she walks each time.

Here are some interesting statistics: The number of walkers per session has ranged from a low of 21 people to a high of 44 people. The age range is currently 65 to 88 years, with the average age of 72. The total number of laps walked in the first six weeks was 3,433 — that’s 429 miles.

The range of laps walked per person varies from 2 laps to 28 laps. (Each lap is 1/8th of a mile). The number of laps walked per person has increased 30 percent in the six weeks of the pilot program. The average number of laps per person has increased from 7.7 laps to 10.7 over six weeks.

Please join us any Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon.