Top 5 Reasons to Participate in the CMEpalooza STEPtacular Challenge

5. It’s not another 5K. I love 5Ks, though I rarely run in organized races because I am slower than a tortoise with plantar fasciitis. These days, it seems like everyone has a 5K. We wanted to do something a little different and something a little more inclusive for CMEpalooza. If, like me, you are slower than a constipated sloth, it doesn’t matter with the STEPtacular Challenge. Steps at any speed are accepted.

4. What else are you going to do? Sit around all weekend watching football/baseball/hockey? (note: I plan to sit around all weekend watching football/baseball/hockey. Well…not hockey. But you should go out and get some steps!)

3. It’s for a good cause. In lieu of an entrance fee, we are asking everyone to please consider joining CMEpalooza and Talem Health in making a donation to the Red Cross Hurricane Ian Relief fund. The recommended amount is $25, or whatever you are comfortable giving. In fact, even if you aren’t participating in the challenge you should do this. Yes, I am trying to guilt trip you into giving a donation. No, I don’t feel bad about it. Here is the link to make a donation.

2. Because Eric VanStone at Talem Health is a good guy and is giving everyone who enters a free performance T-shirt. You’ll be the envy of the neighborhood with the CMEpalooza logo splashed across your chest.

1. Free money. Everyone who enters is eligible for a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card (there are five gift cards; you cannot win more than one.) The person who records and submits the most steps in one day wins a $250 Amazon gift card. The current leader is under 20,000 steps, so not an unsurpassable amount, though more than I will reach sitting around all weekend watching football/baseball/not hockey.

I know, I know. There are a lot of competitions and giveaways right now in CMEpalooza World (and yes, more are coming on Wednesday, October 19 – just wait and see).

But yesterday, we held our first massive gala to pick the winners of CMEopoly, our special Sponsor event that wrapped up on Friday. Derek gave some sort of long-winded speech about how our announcement should usurp the announcement of the Nobel Prizes going on right now, but that seemed a bit over-the-top, and I stopped listening when he got to No. 18 in his list of reasons (note from Derek: Reason #18 was that Annie Ernaux won the Nobel Prize in Literature over Salman Rushdie. Outrageous!!) I am sure he’ll pick right back up when the list of winners for our CMEpalooza STEPtacular Challenge, sponsored by Talem Health, are announced next week.

Anyway, without further ado, here are your winners of CMEopoly, all of whom were awarded a $100 Amazon gift card to spend on whatever whimsical item they desired (a Phillies rally towel would be totally acceptable):

• Jeannine Creazzo, MLIS, MBA, AHIP, Director, Medical Library, Continuing Education, and Research, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
• Carrie Roberts, BS, CHCP, Director, Continuing Medical Education, Steward Health Care
• Christina Casanova Lider, Manager, Development Support, PeerView Institute for Medical Education
• Cindy Davidson, Scientific Editor, Global Learning Collaborative
• Dawn Sinclair, Accreditation Coordinator, College of Pharmacy, Office of CE & PD, Purdue University

Thanks to everyone for playing!