Tuscaloosa will celebrate its first annual Extra Mile Day Saturday, designated by Mayor Walter Maddox.
Founded by Shawn Anderson in 2009, Extra Mile Day is a day to recognize the ability to go the extra mile. Only 23 cities participated during the first year, but the number has steadily grown each year. Tuscaloosa will join with 500 other cities designating the new day this year.
Anderson said Extra Mile Day is a day recognizing the capacity each person has to create positive change in their families, organizations, communities and themselves when they go the extra mile.
Extra Mile Day is promoted by Extra Mile America, a nonprofit with the goal of encouraging individuals, business and even cities to “go the extra mile.” The website lists specific challenges for businesses, schools and churches to volunteer and serve in their communities, but going the extra mile also means putting in extra effort to help out and be positive in everyday life.
“Although I think we should be doing this all year, Extra Mile Day serves as a good reminder to all of us to motivate ourselves to go further than we thought our goals could take us,” said Caroline Henley, a freshman majoring in communicative disorders.
Extra Mile Day aims to take all of the energy people waste on negative activities and invest it in a more positive way.
“We complain about all the things we don’t like in our lives, and we spend time wishing for better grades, higher paying jobs and happier relationships,” Anderson said. “But all the complaining and wishing in the world won’t change things. It’s when we do more and give more than we currently are that we push the envelope of change in a different and positive direction.”
Deidre Stalnaker, the communications director at Mayor Maddox’s office, said while Maddox proclaimed the day to be Extra Mile Day in Tuscaloosa, it’s not considered an official holiday.
