There is a group of Vera Bradley employees – the more-than few, the proud – who participate in the Virgin HealthMiles program. It’s essentially a rewards program where you earn points for racking up steps on your Virgin HealthMiles-issued pedometer. The more you hoof it, the more points (and HealthCash) you receive.

What’s typically a sparse topic of conversation changed drastically September 9 – 30, when 172 Vera Bradley employees competed as teams in the “Step Up and Be Colorful” challenge, an event with simple rules: Take as many steps as your little tootsies will let you. It was a hard-fought battle, but in the end Shipping Clerk Dennis Conatser and Shipping Clerk Joyce Fisher ended in a tie for first, each with 660,000 steps, respectfully. Congratulations! Now, go get a foot massage and rest up for the holiday rush!