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Feelin' Good® Mileage Club® Case Study

The Feelin' Good Mileage Club (FGMC) is an outgrowth of the Feelin' Good Cardiovascular Health Program started in the San Diego Unified School District in San Diego, CA in 1972.  A program that reached more than five million children in all 50 states and most Canadian Provinces by 1980.

Studies conducted by the University of Michigan, Spring Arbor University and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation demonstrated that the program was effective in reducing selected cardiovascular disease risk factors.

In Jackson, MI (the home of Fitness Finders, the developers of the Feelin' Good program) Frost Elementary school, along with many other schools were using the Feelin' Good program with great success.

In the spring of 1986, the Frost teachers wanted to provide more "motion" in the children's school day.  So their children were encouraged to walk around the school playground to help them get their "wiggles" out.  As students walked the playground each student received a bean.  The beans were turned in at the end of the recess and students were given points for laps completed.  The students enjoyed the program and the lady who passed out the beans was quaintly referred to as the "Bean Lady."  The program worked well until the students decided to bring their own beans to school.  Next, bingo chips were used.  Again, children brought them from home.  Clearly new ideas were needed.

The teachers asked the Fitness Finders staff in the fall of 1986 to provide recommendations on what would be the best strategies to improve what they had offered in the spring.  After discussions with the teachers and staff, Fitness Finders personnel recommended the usage of thin, flat Toe Tokens™, white Mileage Marker Cards and selected guidelines for teachers.  During the test year it was discovered that the white Mileage Marker Cards could not be seen in the snow (hence they are yellow), that thicker Toe Tokens™ were more appealing and the teacher guidelines were expanded into Teacher and Coordinator packets.  In a very short period of time the Feelin' Good Mileage Club was off and running into every state.

In 1992, Jackson's local hospital, Foote Hospital, requested sponsorship of the program for the schools in Jackson County, Michigan.  They have continued sponsorship for 16 years!  Under the new name of Allegiance Health, each year they sponsor more than 30 schools giving more than 12,000 students the opportunity to get more physical activity into their school day.  Twelve thousand children times 16 years of support is an impressive commitment on the part of Allegiance Health to help children develop positive physical activity habits and behaviors that will serve them now and well into the future. 

The enclosed reports are a portion of the most recent program summaries.  For confidentiality reasons the pictures of the students have been removed.  As you will read, the students, teachers and parents are thrilled with Mileage Club.

We hope this information will inspire you in your walk with the Mileage Club program.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us.  We would love to speak with you.

Keep Walking!

2007 Spring Report

2008 Spring Report

2009 Spring Report

2010 Spring Report