Bonney Lake city workers are embarking this year on a walk that will take them 12,000 miles across the country and through every state capital.

Well, kind of.

The city Wellness Committee is launching “walkaBLe,” a program that is encouraging employees to increase their activity by imagining a route across the continent.

The idea is to add up all of the miles walked by employees each week and provide encouragement with little bits of information about each state and its capital as they pass through.

Records and Information Specialist Susan Duis said the idea for a walk across the country came from a brainstorming session of the Wellness Committee, designed to help bring city employees together for the sole purpose of supporting each other to get healthier, no matter where on the fitness spectrum they may fall.

Duis said the committee has had success with group walks around the city, like the “Poker Walk” hosted in August.

“Originally it was a walk across Washington,” said Duis, who is heading up the program for the wellness committee. “We figure if we were going to make it year-long we’re going to have to go farther.”

Duis said the program is for employees and spouses and all miles, including those walked, ran or even collected on an elliptical machine or treadmill will count toward the total.

“We’re keeping it pretty informal,” Duis said.

Duis said 17 people have signed up for the program and the goal is at least 20, which would make the average total of 33 miles each day, or 982 per month, in order to make it all 12,000 winding miles across the continent by year’s end.

Bonney Lake has been honored as a “Wellness City” in each of the past three years. The Wellness Committee has an annual budget of $1,400 and is designed to help city employees focus on their mental, physical and social well being.

Duis said the trip through the country is just a fun way to encourage employees to keep moving.

“It’s not really a competitive thing,” Duis said. “It’s about trying to keep people interested.”