NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Contact: Marissa Jamison
Director of Communications
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
(828) 258-6131 – Office Direct
mjamison@ashevillechamber.org
Chamber Challenge 5k Encourages Healthy Habits for Local Businesses
– Registration Now Open –
NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Contact: Marissa Jamison
Director of Communications
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
(828) 258-6131 – Office Direct
mjamison@ashevillechamber.org
Chamber Challenge 5k Encourages Healthy Habits for Local Businesses
– Registration Now Open –
Come rain or sunshine on Friday, June 3, 2011 at 4:30 p.m., the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce will kick-off its fifth annual community wellness race, the Chamber Challenge 5k presented by Mission Health System. Team and individual registrations are now being accepted at ChamberChallenge.org.
The annual event is sponsored by the Chamber to encourage wellness and team-building through friendly competition between businesses. The race is open to individual runners or participants can form teams of four with colleagues or other businesses. Teams are encouraged to dress-up in costume or wear a unified color in the spirit of fun competition. Families and strollers are also welcome.
Scheduled intentionally during business hours, the race is a statement about the importance of wellness to the Asheville business community. The Chamber’s new President and CEO Kit Cramer encourages the entire community, Chamber members or not, to join the race on June 3 regardless of fitness ability. “Promoting healthy lifestyles is key in maintaining the appeal of our community. Many local companies have been inspired by the race to implement wellness programs of their own. The Asheville business community gets it — healthy employees make for healthy business.”
New this year, the course has undergone a slight tweak. The road course for the Chamber Challenge begins and ends in the Chamber parking lot at 36 Montford Avenue. Runners will proceed through the historic and scenic Montford neighborhood and veer off Pearson Drive for a short loop. The new race route and accompanying map are posted on ChamberChallenge.org.
Individual awards will be presented to the top five male and female runners. The Chamber Challenge Cup will go to the overall first-place team. In addition to the run or walk challenge, participants will enjoy a costume contest, live music, beverages from Highland Brewing Company, healthy snacks provided by Ingles and racing shirts for the first 1,000 participants.
The Chamber is currently offering free training sessions every Wednesday through May 25. Participating runners and walkers depart from the Chamber on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. The program is designed to help individuals begin and stick to a workout routine, set goals, avoid injury and ultimately run or walk the Chamber Challenge 5k.
The Chamber Challenge 5k would not be possible without the support from our sponsors. Presenting sponsor is Mission Health System. Water stations along the course are sponsored by Park Ridge Health. Gold sponsors are Clear Channel Asheville, WLOS and Ingles. Silver sponsors are EDU Sports X2, FASTSIGNS, NextCare Urgent Care, Two Men and a Truck, LLC, Mountain Xpress and the YMCA. Bronze sponsor is Alan's Jewelry & Pawn, Inc. The start-line sponsor is Volvo Construction Equipment of North America, and the finish line is sponsored by Blue Ridge Bone & Joint Clinic. Half-way sponsor is Zaxby's Restaurant. Bottled water is provided by Mountain Valley Spring Water / Le Bleu and the beer sponsor is Highland Brewing Company.
Team registration for four participants is $100 for early registration and $120 after May 20. Individual registration is $30 for early registration and $35 after May 20. For more information and to register, visit ChamberChallenge.org or contact Race Director Dina DeSantis at 828.232.2247 or ddesantis@ashevillechamber.org.
The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is a 2,000-member organization representing 86,000 employees. Chamber members collaborate with community organizations and coalitions to support the community and each other with the mission of increasing the region’s livability by advancing its economic vitality. The Asheville Chamber works diligently to ensure that Asheville continues to grow and prosper while also protecting the natural beauty of the area. In 2006, the Chamber moved to a new location and is now home to the 4,000 square foot Visitor Center which welcomes 200,000 visitors per year.
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