Thunder Bay, ON – The Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA) Indigenous Diabetes Awareness and Education Program is pleased to announce the 2023 Mocc Walk (May 1 – June 30). The Mocc Walk is an inclusive healthy exercise initiative that calls on Indigenous women and their families to get active, get fit, and have fun while promoting a healthy lifestyle and diabetes awareness.
ONWA calls on all Indigenous women and girls to take up their leadership roles in their communities by encouraging your community to join this challenge and experience the benefits that exercise can provide, including diabetes prevention. Healthy and well Indigenous women and girls lead to healthy and well communities.
The Mocc Walk is open to Indigenous women and their family members in the province of Ontario. ONWA encourages bodies of all ages and abilities to join in this Mocc Walk challenge. Exercise looks different to everyone and can be anything that gets your body moving. Pow wow dancing, walking, or doing a chair exercise are all examples of ways to build up your exercise minutes.
There are a few different ways to participate in the Mocc Walk. The more you participate, the better chance you have of winning some great prizes.
1. Register at www.onwa.ca/moccwalk. You can register at any point during the promotion. Each week between May 1 and June 30, 2022, record your minutes exercised and submit to be entered into the Grand Prizes and Participation Draws.
2. Once you are registered, follow ONWA’s social media for an update on Weekly Challenges. Submit your weekly entry for a chance to win Weekly Challenges Draw prize. There are 9 weekly challenges and 3 prizes drawn each week; a total of 27 chances to win.
3. Participate as a class between May 1- May 26, 2023! Are you a teacher looking to encourage youth exercise and diabetes awareness in your classroom? Participate in the Classroom Challenge by emailing sanderson@onwa.ca.
4. Are you looking to reduce the impact of smoking in your life? If you smoke and are thinking of reducing or quitting, join our Smoking Cessation Challenge. In partnership with the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) Indigenous Cohort Best Practice Guidelines (BPG) on Promoting Smoking Reduction and Cessation with Indigenous Peoples of Reproductive Age and their Communities. Smoking reduction and cessation can reduce your chance of developing diabetes. Record your progress using our Smoking Cessation Journal and submit at the end of the Mocc Walk to be entered into a draw to win 1 of 3 prizes.
We have a selection of fantastic prizes this year including:
Grand Prize Draw
1. $500.00 Sport Chek gift card
2. $100.00 Mantibah Mukluk gift card
Participation Draws (total of 12 chances to win)
1. Garmin Forerunner SS watch (x4)
2. Sport bundle (x4): Hat, lip chap, Goodr sunglasses, fanny pack, sunscreen and $50.00 Sport Chek gift card
3. Yeti Rambler 1.89L Bottle (x4)
Classroom Challenge Draw (depending on the age of the winning class the prize will be 1 of the following)
1. A double ball set with teachings
2. Making your own double ball
3. How to play lacrosse and teachings
4. Beading kits and teachings
Last year, we heard many encouraging success stories from almost 900 community members who Mocc Walked 109,205 minutes. This year, join our virtual community across Ontario as they honour their bodies through exercise! Be a Mocc Star in your community and encourage your family, friends, or co-workers to families to get active, get fit and have fun!
Mocc Walk your way to www.onwa.ca/moccwalk to register now!
For more information and media inquiries, contact:
Andre Morriseau, Communications Manager
Ontario Native Women’s Association (ONWA)
Email: amorriseau@onwa.ca
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