Walking the walk

President leads dozens on mile trek across campus and back again to recognize health, wellness and UND’s commitment to fighting cancer 

It was a beautiful day on campus Friday  — a perfect occasion for UND President Mark Kennedy to lead employees on a leisurely, yet brisk, stroll around the grounds.

And that’s exactly what he did to celebrate UND’s focus on health, wellness and its dedication to the fight against cancer.

Dozens of UND workers joined the president for “Walk at Work,” last Friday, as a way to recognize the University’s commitment to fighting and addressing cancer through research and programs such as the North Dakota Statewide Cancer Registry, which collects information about new cancer cases, treatments and outcomes.

UND also was one of the first higher education institutions to become a members of CEO Cancer Gold Standard.  A workplace wellness accreditation program established in 2006, the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ is the first initiative championed by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. The Gold Standard provides a framework for employers to have a healthier workplace by focusing on cancer risk reduction, early detection, access to clinical trials and high-quality care.

All of the requirements of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard are based on scientific evidence, and the program is carefully reviewed annually to ensure that it remains comprehensive and up to date.

Nearly 200 private, nonprofit and government employers in diverse industries have earned Gold Standard accreditation, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training, and a number of NCI- designated cancer centers.

As part of the Walk at Work event, Kennedy and the University were presented with a certificate to recognize the school’s 10-year commitment to the CEO Cancer Gold Standard.

Kennedy and the other participants walked the “Centennial Loop,” which is a 1-mile path that runs from Twamley, across the English Coulee to Hughes Fine Arts, then toward the Chester Fritz Auditorium. Next, it winds back toward Wilkerson Commons, before taking a right and following University Avenue. The loop turns right again before the School of Law building and leads back to  Twamley.