LYNN — April showers bring May flowers, and for the City Council, the month is bringing a bit of healthy competition as well.
May marks National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. To celebrate this, the council is participating in a “Biggest Loser Competition,” in which councilors and City Attorney James Lamanna are split into two teams and compete to see who can lose the most weight as a group.
The West Lynn team has Ward 7 Councilor and Council President Jay Walsh, Ward 5 Councilor and Council Vice President Dianna Chakoutis, Ward 6 Councilor Fred Hogan, Councilor-at-Large Brian Field, Councilor-at-Large Nicole McClain, and Councilor-at-Large Hong Net preparing for battle.
Representing the East Lynn team are Ward 1 Councilor Dr. Pete Meaney, Ward 3 Councilor Coco Alinsug, Ward 2 Councilor Obed Matul, Ward 4 Councilor Natasha Megie-Maddrey, Councilor-at-Large Brian LaPierre, and Lamanna.
The competition started off Friday afternoon when the teams set out for Turner Trucking and Salvage, using a large scale there to assess the figures for their first weigh-in.
“My pockets are full of lead weights right now for the weigh-in,” Walsh joked.
“I’m not telling my cardiologist what I’ve been eating the last three weeks,” Field said about his preparation strategy.
Meaney and Hogan came up with the idea. Alinsug said he thinks it will be a great way to build camaraderie between the councilors and let them have a little bit of fun.
Each team will have 45 days to lose the weight, using healthy habits to do so.
West Lynn ran up to the scale first, weighing in at 1,240 pounds.
East Lynn trudged up to the scale second, weighing in at 1,340 pounds.
The “biggest loser” between the two teams will give 100% of their winnings to a nonprofit organization in the city.
As well as the larger competition, each councilor is going head to head with another from the opposing side: Lamanna vs. Hogan, Meaney vs. Walsh, Net vs. Alinsug, Matul vs. Chakoutis, McClain vs. Megie-Maddrey, and, of course, LaPierre vs. Field in the Battle of the Brians.
“If somebody sees a councilor eating something they shouldn’t, they should text us or email us a picture of that councilor,” Hogan joked.
People who wish to choose a side and donate can head to Meaney’s Venmo @Peter-Meaney.
The final weigh-in will be May 31. May the biggest loser… win.
