WABI, WVII cover Zimmerman Memorial Fitness Challenge

WABI (Channel 5) and WVII (Channel 7) covered the annual Zimmerman Memorial Fitness Challenge, held at the University of Maine on April 13. More than 150 people participated in the challenge, which involved a variety of physical activities such as pack runs, pullups and mud crawls, WABI reported. The challenge was created in 2011 to honor 1st Lt. James R. Zimmerman, a UMaine Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) graduate from Houlton, who was killed in action in 2010 in Afghanistan. All proceeds from the event go toward the 1st Lt. James Zimmerman Memorial NROTC Award. This year, the challenge raised about $4,500, according to WVII. “The event is more important than just the UMaine students and UMaine faculty,” said Mark Talvacchia, a UMaine student and president of the Blue and Gold Team. “It is a memorial event for the entire community around here.”