On April 28, participants of the fourth-annual Akron ZipOff celebrated their accomplishments with a celebration and awards event at held at the Student Recreation & Wellness Center. Thirty teams with 150 UA employees lost 695 pounds over the past 12 weeks. The total weight loss averages 1.9 pounds per team per week, well within the recommended range for safe weight loss.

The team “Mission Slim Possible” (above) won the grand prize. Team members are, from left: Pat Millhoff, associate professor of criminal justice technology; Kathy Shaffer of Public Service Technology; Marvin Duncan of Hardware and Operating System Services; and Lois Smith of the Office of the President. Not pictured: Kathee Evans, of Research Services and Sponsored Programs. Members of the team lost 6.11 percent of their overall weight during the contest period.

Prizes were also awarded for:

• best team name (“Dr. D. and the Dieting Divas”); 
• best team t-shirt design (Mission Slim Possible);
• individual weight loss winner (Nancy Blewitt of Student Financial Aid, who lost 9.3 percent of her beginning body weight); and
• team weight loss runner-up (Nancy Blewitt, Edward Evans, David McVaney, Neadra Ferguson and Lisa Sewell).

Teams were also reminded that they are all eligible for the Perseverance Award, to be given to the team that best maintains current weight or continues to lose weight over the summer months. Teams wishing to compete for that award will weigh in early September.