Continental Resources partners with HealthCorps to launch school health program in Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY, May 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CLR) is bringing a proactive health movement with a unique in-school educational and mentoring program to Oklahoma.

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HealthCorps, co-founded by world-renowned cardiac surgeon and two-time Emmy® Award-winning host Dr. Mehmet Oz and his wife Lisa Oz, will launch at ASTEC Charter School in Oklahoma City this fall. Led by a full-time salaried health coordinator, the program will address childhood obesity by teaching teens to embrace healthier lifestyle habits that will endure for life. Continental Resources is the founding sponsor of HealthCorps in Oklahoma.

"HealthCorps is an innovative approach to transforming lives and communities," said Harold Hamm, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Continental Resources and Founder of the Harold Hamm Diabetes Center at the University of Oklahoma. "It's well-known that a balanced diet and regular exercise help students learn better. Through our partnership with HealthCorps, we aim to give Oklahoma teens the foundation for a vibrant and prosperous future."

Dr. Oz, host of "The Dr. Oz Show" and Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Medical Center, conceived HealthCorps in 2003 after finding himself operating on patients in their twenties who were in need of heart surgery because of poor lifestyle choices. He set out to save a generation of youth from sustaining shorter life spans than those of their parents.

"HealthCorps is committed to reaching high school students to empower a new generation of agents of change for personal wellness," Dr. Oz said. "At HealthCorps, our school coordinators are on the frontlines making health hip for teens by getting them to read food labels, increase physical activity and serve their communities. Continental's leadership in bringing this movement to Oklahoma means better health and better opportunities for thousands of teens and community members."

Ryan Fightmaster, who currently serves as Director of the Oklahoma Run to Defeat Diabetes Foundation, has been selected as the HealthCorps Coordinator for ASTEC Charter School.

"The HealthCorps program is making a marked difference in the health and lives of students and their families throughout the United States," said ASTEC CEO and Founder Freda Deskin. "To be able to offer this program to ASTEC students and families is a dream come true, thanks to the vision of Continental Resources and their commitment to Oklahoma. We look forward to working with these two partners on this very exciting journey."

HealthCorps is focused on three priorities—educating the student body, achieving community outreach through local projects and initiatives, and advocating for policy shifts that put health and physical education back into the core curriculum of the American education system. With the addition of the Oklahoma school, the HealthCorps network will span 54 high schools in 14 states. As part of the organization's mandate, the school program extends to the community through health festivals and liaisons with local health resources and non-profits that share HealthCorps' mission.

About Continental Resources
Continental Resources is a Top 10 petroleum liquids producer in the United States and the largest leaseholder in the nation's premier oil play, the Bakken Play of North Dakota and Montana. Based in Oklahoma City, the company also has a leading presence in the Anadarko Woodford Play of Oklahoma and the Red River Units Play of North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. Founded in 1967, Continental's growth strategy has focused on crude oil since the 1980s. The company reported total revenues of $1.6 billion for 2011 and is on track to triple production and proved reserves from 2009 to 2014. For more information, please visit CLR.com. 

About HealthCorps
HealthCorps empowers students to become educated consumers and health activists who take their message to underserved communities with upbeat events, such as the month-long Healthy Steps virtual race using pedometers and the community-based "Highway to Health" Festivals. The HealthCorps Board of Directors includes such medical practitioners as Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. David Katz (Yale), Dr. Michael Roizen (Cleveland Clinic), Dr. Brian Wansink (Cornell), Dr. Laura Berman and many other renowned health experts. Proceeds from funds raised are used to establish the HealthCorps curriculum in additional high schools across the country. A 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization, HealthCorps currently receives no Federal funding. Total funding is garnered through a combination of state, city, private foundation, corporate and individual contributions. For more information, please visit www.healthcorps.org. 

About ASTEC
The Advanced Science and Technology Education Charter Schools (ASTEC) is a not-for-profit organization that operates a middle school and a high school in Oklahoma City. The school was founded in 2000 and has the distinction of being Oklahoma's first homegrown, start-up charter school. Today, the two schools have a combined student body of 800. ASTEC's daily attendance rate is 96 percent and 92 percent of our students graduate, with a vast majority enrolling in college. ASTEC serves a large minority population and 93 percent of our students are from low-income households.

CONTACT: Kristin Miskovsky
405-234-9480 or [email protected]  

SOURCE Continental Resources