[January 14, 2013]

Empire BlueCross Announces Winners of the Get Active, Get Fit School Challenge

Empire BlueCross today announced the winners of the Get Active, Get Fit School Challenge. An effort between Empire and Radio Disney (News - Alert) AM 1460, Get Active, Get Fit motivates kids and families to achieve fitness together by engaging in fun activities. In order to successfully complete the challenge, students had to be active for a minimum of 40 of the 55 days during the event, which ran from Oct. 1, 2012 through Nov. 24, 2012.

The 15 schools with the highest percentage of participation in the program have on a live dance party at their school hosted by Radio Disney AM 1460. Five schools that completed the challenge were awarded new gym equipment packages valued at $500 through a random drawing.

"The Get Active, Get Fit School Challenge, which we are very pleased to sponsor, was designed to motivate kids and families to achieve fitness together by engaging in fun activities," said Ethel Graber, VP and GM, Empire BlueCross. "In 2011, the second year of this partnership, the Challenge was completed by more than 13,000 children at upstate New York elementary schools."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 17 percent (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 years are obese. Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has nearly tripled.

In 2012, the event's 3rd year in upstate New York, the challenge was completed by more than 20,626 children at 28 elementary schools. Nearly 384,000 students nationwide signed up to participate in this year's Get Active, Get Fit School Challenge in Colorado, Georgia, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Ohio, Upstate New York, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The complete list of winners is:

1. Holy Name School, AuSable Forks
2. W.B. Tecler Arts in Education Magnet School, Amsterdam
3. Harrison Ave. Elementary, South Glens Falls
4. North Warren Central School, Chestertown
5. Hadley-Luzerne Elementary, Lake Luzerne
6. St. Bernard's, Saranac Lake
7. Holy Family School, Malone
8. Henry Johnson Charter School, Albany
9. St. Johnsville Central School, St. Johnsville
10. St. Regis Mohawk School, Hogansburg
11. Our Saviours Lutheran School, Albany
12. St. Ambrose Catholic School, Latham
13. Mother Teresa Academy, Clifton Park
14. Anna S. Kuhl Elementary, Port Jervis
15. New Scotland Elementary, Albany

Radio Disney

Radio Disney is the #1, 24-hour radio network devoted to kids, tweens and families. Kids help pick the music that is played and are encouraged to interact via a toll-free phone line to the Radio Disney studio. The network's current playlist, driven by listener requests and representing major record labels, includes recording artists Selena Gomez, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift (News - Alert), One Direction, Katy Perry, Cody Simpson, Carly Rae Jepsen and Cher Lloyd. The network is available on 31 owned terrestrial radio stations and is also available via RadioDisney.com, Sirius XM satellite radio on channel 79, iTunes Radio Tuner, mobile phones, the Radio Disney iPhone (News - Alert) and Android Apps, and the Radio Disney Facebook page.

About Empire BlueCross

Empire BlueCross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Services provided by Empire HealthChoice HMO, Inc. and/or Empire HealthChoice Assurance, Inc., licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Additional information about Empire is available at www.empireblue.com. Also, follow us on Twitter at @Empirebcbs or www.twitter.com/healthjoinin, on Facebook (News - Alert) at www.facebook.com/HealthJoinInEmpire, or visit our YouTube (News - Alert) channel at www.youtube.com/healthjoinin.

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