That's roughly the collective distance covered by a group of walkers who took time to log their progress during BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina's Walk @ Lunch Day(SM) event held April 30 at Columbia's Finlay Park. Of the estimated 750 to 1,000 walkers who participated in the event co-hosted by WLTX-TV of Columbia, 384 actually logged their laps and calculated their mileage.
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Not all who turned out for the walking, entertainment, health information, chair massages and giveaways reported their distance, so the total distance walked likely far exceeded the 731 miles recorded by the 384 participants who checked in with event organizers. The distance from Columbia to New York is about 717 miles.
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"We are thrilled with the participation at Finlay Park, and we are already looking forward to Walk @ Lunch Day 2009," said David Pankau, president of S.C. BlueCross' BlueCross BlueShield Division. "Research shows that just a 30-minute walk five days per week can have significant health benefits. BlueCross is proud to support Walk @ Lunch and other programs that encourage physical activity and healthier lifestyles."
The Finlay Park event was part of the second annual National Walk @ Lunch Day, a program created by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association to encourage Americans to live healthier lives by incorporating walking into their daily routines.
"We are all so busy with work and other obligations, so walking at lunch every day is a great way to make exercise fit into -- not compete with -- our busy schedules," Pankau said.
Companies across the nation marked Walk @ Lunch Day by holding walks for their employees. Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies held walks in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
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.
SOURCE BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina
