"The Passport to Wellness is about more than people just getting physically fit," said Lynn Larson, RN and nurse educator with the Health Promotion & Wellness Service. "This is geared to help them in every facet of their life."

The program, which encompasses the five pillars of wellness - physical, emotional, social, spiritual and family - provides participants with passports that they can take on a journey all over Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It is open to all those with base access, including civilian employees and retirees.

There are at least 40 locations on base where stamps can be received, from taking a class in healthy-eating through the nutrition clinic or a smoking-cessation class at Madigan Army Medical Center, to visiting the base movie theaters, bowling alleys or the Northwest Adventure Center. Upon completion of the activity at each location, passports will be stamped; each location can give a maximum of two stamps per person.

"When people move around so much they don't always get out to explore all of the things offered," Larson said. "We hope this inspires them to really get and out explore the area, as well as the base."

The program, which began on Oct. 1, will run for six months and conclude at the end of March. Larson is hopeful that the response will be so positive that they can repeat the program again in the future.

When a passport has 10 stamps, you are eligible for bronze level prizes and at 20 stamps you are eligible for silver level prizes.

Once you have 40 stamps you can turn it into the Wellness Center and be entered into the raffle for the Grand Prizes, which have all been donated by JBLM Morale, Welfare and Recreation. Grand prizes include one night at Whistler, B.C., one night in Vancouver, B.C., a weekend cabin on American Lake, passes to the Hands On Children Museum in Olympia, gift cards for the Battle Bean, passes to the Tacoma Art Museum and other event entries.

Passports are available at either the McChord Field HAWC (Bldg 726) Fitness Center Annex or the Health Promotion & Wellness Service, located in Wilson Gym (Bldg 11596) on JBLM North. Prizes can be redeemed at the same two locations. For more information, call (253) 966-3757. For a full list of activities or to reserve room in a class, visit www.mamc.amedd.army.mil/Wellpp/partActs.cfm