For Immediate Release
Date: April 22, 2013

WHAT: Mayor Edna Jackson on Tuesday will kick off an 8-week team-based fitness competition designed to get City employees and their families in shape. Tuesday’s event will include a pep rally and group walk led by the Mayor along the waterfront.

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 23

WHERE: Rousakis Plaza, behind City Hall. Walk will head west, toward the Talmadge Bridge.

WHO: Mayor Jackson and competition participants, who include City employees, spouses, domestic partners and dependents over the age of 18. The competition includes 231 people who are members of 44 teams. The event is co-sponsored by the City of Savannah, the YMCA of Coastal Georgia, Healthy Savannah and Cerner Health Wins.

WHAT ELSE: The competition is called the L.E.A.N. Challenge, which stands for Leadership, Exercise, Activity, & Nutrition. Its goal is the get employees and their families to embrace new habits improving nutrition and physical activity. Teams of 4-6 people will compete for prizes across an 8-week competition that runs through June 14. Collectively, the 231 participants have pledged to lose almost 900 pounds during the two-month competition. The L.E.A.N. Challenge will serve as a pilot program to learn the best practice for our community. The intention is to offer a 12-week fitness challenge to all of the Savannah community this fall.