Capital BlueCross will donate to local charities as part of a challenge to get the public moving, logging physical activities

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 17, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- It is not uncommon for a health insurance company to encourage people to get active, but Capital BlueCross is taking that one step further to benefit five charities.

Today Capital BlueCross is launching the Move It! Challenge, a six-week campaign that encourages everyone to get moving and log their physical activities to earn money for charities. As a reward for participants' efforts, Capital BlueCross will donate up to $50,000 to five charities throughout the region: Central PA Food Bank, Home for our Troops, Humane Society of Harrisburg Area, Ronald McDonald House of Hershey and Second Harvest Food Bank.

"We believe there are two winners from the MoveIt! Challenge," said Gary D. St. Hilaire, Capital BlueCross president & CEO. "For starters, participants will be rewarded with better health by being active for six weeks. An additional reward is knowing that some local charities important to our communities will be better able to help those who are in need of their great services."

The program is open to anyone in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. Participants simply go to www.everymove.org/CapMoveIt to register, select the charity they want to donate to, and to start logging their activities today. Choosing from over 100 approved physical activities, people earn points by logging their activities for the day. These activities translate into money earned and donated by Capital BlueCross for each of the five charities.

Capital BlueCross will kick off the Move It! Challenge with employees at its headquarters building on Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17. Employees will have the opportunity to meet with representatives of participating charities to learn more about the important services they each provide to members of our community.

"It is important for Capital BlueCross to lead by example, so we are hosting an event to educate, energize and engage our own employees," said St. Hilaire. "Our company has a strong and long-standing culture of supporting the community, so I am anticipating an enthusiastic participation by many of the people who work here."

The Move It! Challenge is sponsored by Capital BlueCross in partnership with EveryMove, an entrepreneurial health care company providing the online tools to execute and track this charitable challenge.

About Capital BlueCross
In 2013, Capital BlueCross is celebrating 75 years of serving central Pennsylvania and Lehigh Valley residents and businesses as the region's leading health insurer. Through its family of companies, Capital BlueCross brings innovative services and clinical solutions to the marketplace. Committed to delivering medical value to its communities, Capital BlueCross focuses on improving patient satisfaction, enhancing quality of care and reducing costs. The company continues to lead the change in the industry by meeting the evolving health needs of its customers, most recently by entering the retail market and building a first-of-its-kind health and wellness store called Capital Blue. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa., Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, employing more than 1,800 people. More information about Capital BlueCross can be found at capbluecross.com.

SOURCE Capital BlueCross