Over two thousand miles were walked by spectators at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G as a part of the A Mile for Mercy program being held at the tournament and to celebrate the community’s achievement, the tournament will make a $5,000 contribution to the Mercy Health Foundation.

“Listening as those who tracked their miles on the Mercy pedometers was a lot of fun for us,” Kyle Brunen, Health & Wellness Program Manager Community Integration & Outreach for Mercy, said. “As they began to see how simply engaging in activities they already enjoy, like golf, can equal up to some very healthy steps, people became really excited about the program. We are thankful for the opportunity to partner with the Walmart Northwest Arkansas Championship presented by P&G and to receive their generous donation to the work of Mercy.”

“It was a fantastic tournament this year and having Mercy Northwest Arkansas involved was a great way to bring awareness to all that they are doing to improve health and wellness in Northwest Arkansas,” Tournament Director Harry Hardy said. “There was tremendous support from the community and it’s opportunities like this that showcase what a great community this really is. Fans were able to take the pedometers home with them, so our hope is that the focus on health and wellness continues throughout the year.”

Spectators were encouraged to wear pedometers to track the distance they walked during the tournament with an overall goal of 500 miles by week’s end. Over 2,000 pedometers were distributed to fans including Bob Pellegrino of Hot Springs who walked 3.87 miles and was selected as the winner in the random drawing of all program participants. Pellegrino won a mountain bike package.

Local organizations benefiting from the tournament in addition to Mercy Northwest Arkansas this year included: the Cancer Challenge, the Benton County and Fayetteville Boys & Girls Clubs, the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and the South Central Golf Foundation.