There is still time to register your group or company for the Weekly Walk challenge.

For the fourth consecutive year, the United Way of the Desert will host Nine Weekly Walks across nine cities in the Coachella Valley. The free community 5k walks take place each Saturday morning for 9 weeks at 7am now through October 17 and culminate with the Palm Springs Aerial Tram Road Challenge 6k on October 24.

Leading the weekly walks this year is former NFL player, La Quinta native, and owner of 101 Athletics Training Facility, Jeff Webb.

More than a warm-up to the iconic 6k race, the Nine Weekly Walks serve as a community call to action. Each Saturday, United Way will count on the generosity of participants in requesting donations of crucial items for partner agencies. Last year, the walks gathered over 100 citizens and community leaders, producing a total of 4,000+ pounds of food for local food banks, toiletry items for shelters, books and school supplies for kids.

A free program is being launched in accord with the walks aimed at engaging employees and increasing participation in health activities, with the ultimate goal of promoting wellness in the workplace. The program calls on businesses to register with United Way of the Desert, granting employees access to a microsite where they can signup, form teams, and sync fitness applications to track progress and earn points. At the end of the Nine Weekly Walks the data will be compiled and teams with the most points will be recognized and rewarded at Desert Regional Medical Center’s Make a Difference Day post-race awards ceremony and health and fitness fair.

The hugely collaborative effort concludes in the 30th anniversary of the Tram Road Challenge 6k, where partners, volunteers, agencies and caring individuals come together to get fit and give back to the community. In partnership with the Desert Sun, Klein Clark Sports will host the race, televised LIVE by KMIR, as part of USA Today’s Make a Difference Day and benefitting the United Way of the Desert.

To register for the Workplace Wellness Challenge, please contact United Way of the Desert directly at (760) 323.2731 or email [email protected]. Once your business is added to the www.wellable.co/tramroadchallenge site, teams may be formed, activities recorded and progress measured for this wellness challenge and opportunity make a difference. To register for the Tram Road Challenge, please visit desertsun.com/makeadifferenceday.