State Legislators Walk the Oregon Trail and 'Move It' to Benefit Health Charities

SALEM, Ore., March 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With nearly one third of the U.S. population considered "obese" by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, preventable chronic illnesses impacted by weight are getting higher each year. This year Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon has partnered with the Oregon Capitol Safety and Wellness Committee to invite legislators and staff to "Walk the Oregon Trail" by participating in the well-known Regence "Move It" competition.

Beginning March 21st, using Regence-issued pedometers and activity tracking charts, legislators are able to record the amount of activity they participate in each week. After four weeks, the scores are tallied and the top-scoring legislators earn up to $2,500 for the health-related charity of their choice, while capitol staff can earn up to $1,250 for health-related organizations.

To kick off the walking challenge, Senator Jackie Winters and Senate President Peter Courtney are hosting the "I Love ME!" walk at noon on the Capitol front steps on Tuesday, March 22.

"By participating in programs like the Move It competition, our state leaders encourage healthier behaviors for all Oregonians," said Tom Holt, director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs for Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon. "We would like to thank the Oregon legislature for helping us promote this healthy competition. We anticipate a great turnout this year."

About Regence

Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence serves more than 2.3 million members as Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each health plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities, and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or follow us on Twitter. 

SOURCE Regence

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