Workplace Wellness – Help Your Community by Getting in Shape!
Why Workplace Wellness?
As we welcome in a new year we also welcome healthy changes into our lives by setting New Year’s resolutions. Getting back to work after the holidays can leave many employees wondering how they can successfully continue their resolutions in the work setting. KVC Kentucky wants to remind businesses and their employees that they can help make their resolutions stick by implementing a workplace wellness initiative. Healthy employees are happy employees. Successful HR professionals and senior leadership know that having a workplace wellness program can boost morale, improve health and fitness, and increase productivity and overall lower insurance costs to employers.
What is the Bluegrass Wellness at Work Challenge?
KVC Kentucky’s Bluegrass Wellness at Work Challenge gives Kentucky companies access to wellness initiatives. It recognizes those who adapt their company initiatives to include wellness. Even more, rewarding employees’ achievements will keep them excited and living a healthful lifestyle, with an added bonus of awards and community recognition for their employers.
The 2017 Bluegrass Wellness at Work five-week fitness challenge will run from May 7 – June 11. Companies compete as a team against other organizations of a similar size, classified as small (under 25 employees), medium (25-99), and large (100 or more). Also, participants use the Bluegrass Wellness at Work App to input their activity, receiving 1 point for every 15 minutes of exercise. Now in it’s fifth year, the challenge includes more employer engagement and participation by accepting sponsorships, upgrading our technology to sync with personal fitness tracking devices, and more!
To create a simple challenge that includes all levels of fitness, the goal is to promote active lifestyles by improving on each person’s current activity level. Elizabeth Croney, President of KVC Kentucky and member of the Leadership Lexington team who originally created the challenge, is excited for another successful year and to see more organizations participate.
Amy Carrington, director of leadership development with Commerce Lexington, highlights the Bluegrass Wellness at Work challenge in January’s publication of Business Lexington.
“It coexists well with some of the organizational health plans and health incentives for getting out and getting moving. I think that’s why it has done so well.”
Many Kentucky companies have great programs promoting wellness for their employees, but no way to share their successes. The Bluegrass Wellness at Work challenge gives those organizations a chance to communicate their ideas and help others follow in their footsteps, all while creating a little competition, reward, and a social aspect.
Bluegrass Wellness at Work Schedule:
- May 7 – BGWAW challenge kickoff at The Great Cake Race
- This 5K race benefits Sweet Blessings, a nonprofit specializing in creating happy birthdays for children who are living in poverty or fighting life-threatening illnesses.
- June 2– BGWAW final event at The North Lime Donut Dash
- This 5k race coincides with National Donut Day and supports Nourish Your Neighborhood, an organization that partners with local restaurants who are willing to create an opportunity for patrons to purchase a meal for those who are hungry, especially children, in their own neighborhoods. North Lime Coffee & Donuts is a proud partner of Nourish Your Neighborhood and created the 5k to celebrate their Lexington Community and of course, donuts.
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June 11 – BGWAW Concludes-Participants submit their final points and winners will be announced at a special award ceremony the following week!
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June 22 – BGWAW Award Ceremony-
This years award ceremony will be held at Central Bank Thursday Night Live! All participants are invited to join us for an evening of music, food and celebration as we award winners from each company size category trophies. Who will be named Healthiest Place to Work in Kentucky?!
Throughout this five-week challenge, participating organizations will receive weekly updates showing how they stack up against the competition. They will also have opportunities to interact at after-work events including a celebration to announce the winners a week after the challenge ends.
Register for the Bluegrass Wellness at Work fitness challenge today at bluegrasswellnessatwork.org.
Become a sponsor for the Bluegrass Wellness at Work fitness challenge!
Sponsoring the Bluegrass Wellness at Work fitness challenge gives employers more recognition and opportunities to achieve workplace wellness. Contact Meredith Meyer for more information, or download our sponsorship form here.