Dave Berry, the volunteer organization’s leader, said there is much to do in order to continue the fitness movement in Tyler.

“We want to spend our time today talking about the Fit City Challenge and how little by little we are having an impact and changing our community,” said Berry, editor of the Tyler Morning Telegraph

The effort was launched last year when the newspaper and its media partner KYTX CBS19 presented stories on the dangers of obesity. Community leaders representing broad interests then formed a volunteer group and adopted a mission statement: Making Tyler a fit city one step, one bite and one health-conscious decision at a time.

City Manager Mark McDaniel will sponsor a weekday workout session for fathers and men who are not getting enough exercise. He specifically called out Nelson Clyde, the newspaper’s publisher, to take part, saying that if Clyde participated 60 percent of the time, McDaniel would shave his own head.

The volunteers have hosted a fitness fair in Bergfeld Park, launched a workplace wellness outreach, supported other community health events and began sending out fitness messages.

Dr. Barbara Huggins, a pediatrician, told those who met Wednesday at the Greater Tyler Association of Realtors’ headquarters, that they should set good examples in their families.

“Though there are a lot of good things happening all over the country, the programs that actually showed a fair measure of success were the programs where the family was the focus of the intervention,” she said.

“If you are part of a family — celebrate it. You’re going to need them to be part of your (health and fitness) effort,” she continued.

All must figure out a way to take on the “Goliath” of being unfit, Dr. Huggins continued.

City Manager Mark McDaniel said he will sponsor a weekday workout session for fathers and men who are not getting enough exercise.

McDaniel’s Pray Off Pounds (POPS) will take place each weekday from April 25 to June 3 beginning at 6 a.m. on Rose Rudman Trail. He said those who want to participate will pray, walk or run on the trail and conclude with prayer.

He specifically called out Nelson Clyde, the newspaper’s publisher, to take part, saying that if Clyde participated 60 percent of the time, McDaniel would shave his own head.

Clyde later enthusiastically accepted the challenge. “Tell the city manager, ‘Game on,’ I’m in, and I think he (McDaniel) would look good with a shaved head,” responded Clyde.

McDaniel suggested all adopt May as “Ditch the Dessert” Month. He said work lunches are often not healthy and include fatty desserts.

“Skip the dessert,” he said. “Have a mint instead.”

“Each of us needs to come up with our own way to achieve a fit city,” McDaniel said.

Many groups are promoting fitness, acknowledged Berry. Texas College is sponsoring a 1,000-mile walking challenge. At Andy Woods Elementary, students and their parents walk before school starts. St. Paul Children’s Foundation has a new program promoting health in the Spanish-speaking community.

Berry said the coalition will use the newspaper, fitcitytyler.com website, social media and other resources to distribute messages promoting the need to be physically active at least 20 minutes a day, to eat a good breakfast and get at least seven hours of sleep each night.

Berry asked those present to dream big, share their talents and collaborate as a way to sustain the fitness movement.

“This is not a quick fix,” Berry said. “But over time, short-term gains can become lasting lifestyle changes.”

By DANNY MOGLE
Managing Editor

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Wolf said they hope to have built the facility so well that his 5-year-old son Luke would be able to go there when he’s selling real estate.

He said when the organization bought the land, it was heavily wooded, so now to see the project done “is cool.” The first word that comes to his mind about seeing the building completed after five years is — proud. “I’m just proud we accomplished it,” Wolf said, adding that the vision of the board members was to have a better facility to educate.

The new center is like having two buildings in one, Moore said. Half of the building serves as the headquarters for the association’s staff, made up of himself and four employees, and day-to-day operations, while the other half offers event and meeting space.

OneREALTORCenter, a “high-tech services and event space,” will be used for the association’s training and meetings, as well as rented out for conventions, receptions, weddings, fundraisers and other events to raise extra income, he said. It offers a full catering, commercial kitchen and a large event room that can hold about 200 people.

The center also has two high-definition projectors and two SMART boards, a new concept that came out in November that allows two people to work on a white board at the same time, he said.

“There’s nothing like it in Tyler,” he said.

The center has been in the works for at least the past five years, Moore said.
“This building will give us the resources we need to ensure the survival and success of real estate professionals in Smith and Wood counties, as well as protecting private property rights,” Moore said.

Ken Killian was the architect for the project. Born in Tyler, he now lives in Dallas but considers the center as his flagship project to moving back home to Tyler, Moore said. The interior designer for the facility was Patricia Canfield.

OneREALTORCenter is a modern cathedral-type building with tall glass walls and windows and ceramic-tile floors that almost look like the sea, Moore said.
Even on a cloudy day, the inside lights don’t need to be used, he added. The outside of the building is designed with Brazilian oak, white special stone and aluminum ipex.

Breedlove Nursery & Landscape landscaped the property, using the natural trees that were already on the property and Texas-style native landscaping, Moore said.

Adding a rentable space to the center gives them the opportunity to raise more income and provide additional resources needed to help the real estate professionals in the area.

With the new center, the association can offer more local training and technology for all the realtors here, Ms. Gregory said.

“As Realtors, we have to keep up and be able to renew our licenses,” she said.
To do that, they must attend training, which now can be done in Tyler instead of traveling to Houston or Austin. Local training will save Realtors money and bring in more revenue, she said.

The association built the new center on Loop 323 so out-of-town Realtors, such as those coming from Wood County, as well as other East Texas cities, could access it better.

“We felt it was our job to help grow and develop Tyler,” and the new location would be a good incentive for growth on that side of town, she said.

“As long as I’ve been in real estate, I’ve always been proud of our organization and how we strive to be professional. … Realtors are real active in this community in doing good for Tyler,” Ms. Gregory said.
Ms. Gregory, 62, was born in Wichita Falls and moved t
o Tyler when she was 5. She became a Realtor when she was 24 and is past president of the board of the Greater Tyler Association of Realtors.

Moore, 62, said he looks forward to the future of the association in the new center.

“I’m proud and pleased to head up such a professional organization,” he said. “It is one of the most professional organizations I’ve had the opportunity to work with in 37 years.”

Moore grew up in Tennessee, where he went to college and entered the real estate field in 1974. From there he moved to Illinois, where he served as assistant commissioner of real estate for the state of Illinois, then executive vice president for a real estate board. He also served as executive vice president for real estate organizations in Florida and Massachusetts before moving to Tyler.

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