S.C. BlueCross, WLTX-TV Team Up for Walk @ Lunch Day Event in Columbia
April 14, 2008
COLUMBIA, SC – April 14, 2008 – A walking course, health screenings, chair massages, entertainment and giveaways are a few of the items on tap at Columbia’s Finlay Park during National Walk @ Lunch DaySM on Wednesday, April 30.
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and Columbia’s WLTX-TV are inviting those who work in the area and the general public to the park between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to take part in the walk and other festivities. Adults and children are welcome, and admission is free. The park is located in downtown Columbia, surrounded by Assembly, Taylor, Gadsden and Laurel streets.
Companies nationwide will mark the second annual National Walk @ Lunch Day by asking their employees to wear comfortable shoes to work and participate in a 30-minute, lunchtime walk. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association created the event as a way to encourage Americans to live healthier lives by incorporating walking into their daily routines.
S.C. BlueCross will provide free posters, fliers and handbills for local businesses, particularly those located near Finlay Park and the downtown area, to use to encourage their employees to walk at the Finlay Park event. For more information on these materials, contact Steve Padgett at 803-264-2108.
“We are proud to work with WLTX to give Columbia residents a unique way to participate in Walk @ Lunch Day,” said David Pankau, president of S.C. BlueCross’ BlueCross BlueShield Division. “We are encouraging downtown businesses to participate at Finlay Park, and our hope is that businesses across the state will hold walks at or near their own work sites.
“This event is a great way for companies to encourage their employees to walk during their lunch breaks on a regular basis in order to improve their health.”
Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, such as a brisk walk, at least five times a week has significant health benefits, such as lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes, and improving the health of muscles, bones and joints. [Source: Physical Activity and Health, A Report of the Surgeon General, 1996.]
Headquartered in Columbia, S.C., BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina and its family of companies include more than 20 subsidiaries involved in health insurance services, U.S. DOD health plan and Medicare contracts, and other insurance and employee benefits services.
National Walk @ Lunch Day is a service mark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
