Reaves wins weight loss contest





Watching his weight Melissa Ramsden, nurse of the Port Aransas Independent School District, records the weight of Steve Reaves, the district’s athletic director, on Friday, March 12. Reaves was among 29 district employees who recently competed to see who could lose the greatest percentage of their total weight, with the winner getting a cash prize of more than $600. Reaves took first place after starting at 236.2 pounds and dropping his weight to 190.6. The contest period stretched from Jan. 5 to March 12.

Watching his weight Melissa Ramsden, nurse of the Port Aransas Independent School District, records the weight of Steve Reaves, the district’s athletic director, on Friday, March 12. Reaves was among 29 district employees who recently competed to see who could lose the greatest percentage of their total weight, with the winner getting a cash prize of more than $600. Reaves took first place after starting at 236.2 pounds and dropping his weight to 190.6. The contest period stretched from Jan. 5 to March 12.


If you’ve noticed that a lot of Port Aransas teachers are looking particularly fit these days, there’s a reason for that.

Twenty-nine school employees recently competed in a weight-loss campaign that doubled as a math exercise for students.

The winner was Steve Reaves, athletic director of the Port Aransas Independent School District. Reaves’ weight plummeted from 236.2 pounds to 190.6 during the contest period, which stretched from Jan. 5 to Friday, March 12, according to Melissa Ramsden, the district nurse, who conducted the contest.

Reaves experienced a 19.31 percent loss, Ramsden said. Contestants were judged on percentage loss, not total weight loss.

In second place were Amy Boulanger, director of food services, with a 14.98 percent loss and Brundrett Middle School teacher Christine Kreutziger, at 14.18 percent.

The contest also served as a math lesson for fifth graders. They learned how to calculate average percentage weight loss per campus.

Each contestant put $20 into a pot when they started the contest. They also had to add $1 to the pot each time they gained weight in a given week or if they missed a weigh-in without a good excuse. (Ramsden held weekly weigh-ins.)

From the pot, Reaves won $631. Second and third places received $60 coupons for meals at Lisabella’s.

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