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ATLANTA, April 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Cancer Society's CEOs Against Cancer® program will host Fit2BeCancerFree®, a virtual step-tracking fitness challenge to be held on April 19 during National Cancer Control Month.
"Creating a world free from cancer can start in the workplace when we inspire our employees to live healthy and active lifestyles," said Gary M. Reedy, CEO for the American Cancer Society. "About half of cancer deaths could be prevented if everyone lived a healthy lifestyle, including not smoking and maintaining a healthy weight. The Fit2BeCancerFree challenge is designed to encourage corporate leaders to lead by example, inspiring more activity among their employees throughout their workday, and helping us make a measurable difference in saving lives from cancer."
The American Cancer Society currently has 16 active CEOs Against Cancer chapters nationwide with about 400 members. The CEOs Against Cancer program unites CEOs from the world's top companies to raise awareness of high-impact cancer mission areas and collaborate with other business leaders to create a culture of health in their organizations and communities.
CEOs Against Cancer members who participate in the challenge will receive a Garmin Vivofit3 that will sync to a live event leaderboard powered by Stridekick and hosted on cancer.org. The leaderboard will track results of the top participants throughout the day of the challenge, and the participant with the most steps logged will receive a winner's dinner with Reedy.
Fit2BeCancerFree participants also receive a nutrition and physical activity toolkit that includes tips for incorporating more physical activity into the workday, and will put these tips into action on April 19. Participants can modify their daily schedule to include "walking" meetings, taking the stairs and frequent walking breaks throughout the day, while encouraging their employees to do the same and track their own steps.
"As CEOs we play a critical role in partnering with the American Cancer Society to make an impact on the fight against cancer in our communities and across the country," said Paul R. Fonteyne, president and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim USA and chairman of CEOs Against Cancer New England Chapter. "Cancer is not only a serious health issue for many families, but also a top workplace issue for many businesses, costing U.S. employers $225.8 billion each year. Collectively, we can bring the passion, expertise and resources needed to prevent, treat and cure this disease."
"One in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime," said Roberto García-Rodríguez, CEO of Triple-S Management Corporation and chairman of CEOs Against Cancer Puerto Rico Chapter. "I'm honored to participate in this inaugural Fit2BeCancerFree challenge, which raises awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle while highlighting ways of incorporating physical activity into the workday. Through a bit of friendly competition, those of us who participate in this challenge can motivate employees across our companies to get moving. Together, we can save more lives from cancer."
About the American Cancer Society:
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 2 million volunteers saving lives in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society's efforts have contributed to a 25 percent decline in the cancer death rate in the U.S. since 1991, driven by less smoking, better treatments, and earlier detection. We're finding cures as the nation's largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
SOURCE American Cancer Society