Luz Salinas processes mail addressed to every department on campus in the UCLA Mail, Messenger and Distribution Services office.

Other than fielding phone requests for express mail envelopes and other mail services, she said she rarely interacts with employees from other campus departments.

On Tuesday, Salinas met an employee from UCLA Transportation face-to-face for the first time at UCLA’s I Heart Walking event for faculty and staff.

“Oh, you’re Luz!” she was greeted. Both appreciated finding that they can now put a face to a name, Salinas said.

This week, Salinas was among hundreds of other faculty and staff members participating in walks around campus and Westwood Village.

The four-day event encourages faculty and staff members to maintain physical fitness, said Bill Aberbuch, marketing services manager for UCLA Recreation.

Faculty and staff, ranging from accountants, neurology research administrators, housing construction project managers and librarians, as well as Carol Block, Chancellor Gene Block’s wife, participated in the event this week.

Yet, participants leave their titles in the office – everyone is trying to get fit.

“You’re stripped of who you are,” Aberbuch said. “You’re all walkers.”

But remnants of their profession were still visible, despite the white I Heart Walking T-shirts worn by some participants.

Walkers were also dressed in doctors’ scrubs, suits and ties, while others sported workout outfits for the occasion.

Kenn Heller, associate director of innovation initiatives for UCLA Recreation and an I Heart Walking participant, said the event can serve as an entry point for faculty and staff members in their approach to fitness.

Some participants have pursued other UCLA Recreation programs, such as the Bruin Health Improvement Program, after the I Heart Walking event, Aberbuch said.

Carol Block has participated in I Heart Walking for the past four years.

She met her current personal trainer at her first event and now works out two times a week.

She said she hopes that after participating in this event, university employees can educate their own families about health.

The four-day walking event is divided each day into two walking groups based on intensity level – the first leisurely and the second fast-paced. Aberbuch said a total of 1,400 walkers from over 500 departmental units registered to participate in the event this week.

On Monday, about 320 participants showed up for the event, and 370 showed up on Tuesday.

Kay Healy, an accountant in the UCLA School of Law’s Business and Finance Office, and a fellow colleague rallied their colleagues to take 25 minutes out of their workday to participate in Monday’s walk.

The walk started at Janss Steps and followed a circular path through North Campus and South Campus to end back at Janss Steps.

Healy and the other employees in her office might otherwise never leave their desks for lunch any other workday, she said.

Healy said the event promotes walking as an accessible, low-impact activity for achieving wellness.

While Salinas said she does not normally like exercise, she felt recharged to go back to work Tuesday after the walk along the perimeter of campus. She said she looks forward to today’s walk in Westwood Village.

The events culminate Thursday with a walk around Collins Court in the John Wooden Center and a prize giveaway. Prizes include sports games tickets, a Sanyo electric bicycle and airline tickets.