Columbia, Greenville, Charleston Set for National Walk @ Lunch Day Events
April 11, 2009
COLUMBIA, SC – April 11, 2009 – BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina is expanding its celebration of National Walk @ Lunch Day(R) this year to include community walks in Columbia, Greenville and Charleston that are free of charge and open to the public.
The third annual National Walk @ Lunch Day, created by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association to encourage Americans to live healthier lives by incorporating walking into their daily routines, will be held Wednesday, April 29. Last year, the event drew tens of thousands of participants in all 50 states.
The goal of National Walk @ Lunch Day is to encourage American workers to engage in exercise regularly during their lunch breaks. More than 1,000 people participated in S.C. BlueCross’ lunchtime community walk in Columbia last year. BlueCross has added walks in Greenville and Charleston for 2009.
In addition to a walking course, the community events will include music, health screenings conducted by local hospitals and other organizations, health-related information, chair massages, live broadcasts from radio and television stations, giveaways, and more.
The walks in Columbia, Greenville and Charleston will be held from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Admission is free, and children, adults and groups are welcome. The walks will be held at:
- The Statehouse in Columbia
- Marion Square in Charleston
- Falls Park in Greenville
S.C. BlueCross is asking employers unable to participate in those events to hold 30-minute walks for their workers at or near their workplace on April 29.
We are pleased to add Greenville and Charleston as walk sites for National Walk @ Lunch Day 2009, said David Pankau, president of S.C. BlueCross’ BlueCross BlueShield Division. We had a great turnout for our first community walk last year in Columbia, and we look forward to successful events this year in other parts of the state. Lunchtime walks are a great way for Americans to fit regular exercise into their busy schedules.
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.]
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
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.
BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina http://www.southcarolinablues.com/
