Dr. Andy Baldwin to Run For Something Better at the ING New York City Marathon 2010

NEW YORK, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Navy physician, humanitarian, television personality and endurance athlete, Lieutenant Commander Andrew Baldwin, M.D., announced that he will join forces with financial services leader ING and New York Road Runners as he takes on the 26.2 mile ING New York City Marathon.  

Dr. Baldwin will serve as this year's ambassador for the ING Run For Something Better®, a charitable initiative that promotes youth fitness and provides grants and funding for school-based running programs across the country.  These include programs within New York City that have been established through the successful partnership between ING and New York Road Runners.

During the marathon—which takes place Sunday, November 7—Dr. Baldwin will wear a pair of ING's signature orange shoelaces.  Orange laces are given to those who make a donation of $10 or more to the ING Run For Something Better cause. The laces serve as a "thank you" and symbol of support for youth fitness and running.  ING's orange laces are available at www.orangelaces.com.  Fans of Dr. Baldwin can also contribute by visiting his fundraising website at www.orangelaces.com/andybaldwin.

Dr. Baldwin will also be a guest of honor at New York Road Runner's Run With Champions children's fitness event in Central Park on Thursday, November 4. The annual event is a race week highlight and features more than 1,200 students from 55 New York City-area schools (including five ING Run For Something Better Schools) that have benefited from ING and New York Road Runners successful partnership.  For the first time, the marquee one-mile race at this event will take place on the ING New York City Marathon course as students will pass through the world's most famous finish line. Media and fans are invited to attend and cheer on the children at 10 a.m. that morning on Center Road and 67th Street in Central Park.

"More and more people today are dealing with the adverse affects of being overweight and leading sedentary lifestyles.  In many cases, these conditions are the result of poor habits developed during childhood," said Dr. Baldwin.  "As a physician, Navy diver and endurance athlete, I've appreciated the importance of exercise and staying physically fit.  By running the marathon and serving as an ambassador for the ING Run For Something Better program, I hope to encourage young people across the country to lead an active lifestyle and to set their own health and fitness goals."

Dr. Baldwin's involvement in the ING Run For Something Better can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OrangeLaces as well as by visiting the ING Run For Something Better Facebook page at www.facebook.com/orangelaces.  Dr. Baldwin will also be providing updates on his Twitter account at www.twitter.com/andybaldwin and Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Andy-Baldwin/35781011703.

"Dr. Baldwin is an outstanding role model for young people, and we're extremely pleased to have him as an ambassador for the ING Run For Something Better program," said Rhonda Mims, president of the ING Foundation and senior vice president, Office of Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs.  "Our goal is to teach children about the benefits of staying healthy and fit, and the values of setting and achieving personal goals.  We've made incredible strides by reaching tens of thousands of young people with the program.  Support from Dr. Baldwin this year will help us spread that positive message even further."

Childhood obesity has become a serious health concern in the United States.  Educating kids about the importance of living an active and healthy lifestyle is the cornerstone of the ING Run For Something Better.  

Since 2003, over 75,000 children have participated in ING Run For Something Better programs across the country, reaching a milestone of running nearly 3 million miles.  Nationally, ING has committed over $2.5 million to fund grants and school-based running programs through the ING Run For Something Better.

About Dr. Andy Baldwin

U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Andrew Baldwin, M.D. is a physician, humanitarian, U.S. Navy diver and media personality currently serving as a family medicine resident at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton in Southern California. Prior to his current position, Dr. Baldwin served at the Navy's Bureau of Medicine and Surgery in Washington, D.C. as a spokesman and advocate for Navy medicine.  While in D.C. he assisted the U.S. Surgeon General with a program called Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future and currently serves as an advocate for the Let's Move Campaign headed by First Lady Michelle Obama.  Both of these programs target childhood overweight and obesity.  Dr. Baldwin has had an accomplished academic, athletic and professional career, which includes service to the country as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy.  As an endurance athlete and national health & fitness specialist, he has competed in numerous triathlons and racing events internationally, such as the prestigious Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Hawaii. Dr. Baldwin has also been named to the All-Navy Triathlon Team five times and was a three time U.S.A. Triathlon All-American.  Beyond his professional and athletic pursuits, Dr. Baldwin is active in charitable and humanitarian efforts.  He is founder of the Got Your Back Network, a 501(c)(3) foundation that provides an avenue for the children of fallen soldiers to learn and be inspired by the most successful leaders of our generation.  Dr. Baldwin has been featured extensively in the media and on television.  This includes his starring role on the ABC hit show, The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman.  For more information, visit www.AndyBaldwin.com.

About ING

ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to over 85 million private, corporate and institutional clients in over 40 countries. With a diverse workforce of more than 107,000 people, ING is dedicated to setting the standard in helping our clients manage their financial future.  In the U.S., the ING (NYSE: ING) family of companies offers a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients, which includes life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits and financial planning. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves approximately 30 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com/US.

About the ING Run For Something Better

The ING Run For Something Better® helps fund school-based running programs in an effort to combat childhood obesity before it ever begins. Linked to ING's commitment to education, the program helps introduce kids to the benefits of sport, a habit of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. Nationally, ING has committed over $2.5 million to fund grants and school-based running programs through ING Run For Something Better. Since 2006, close to one million dollars has also been raised by individual donors through a special charitable fund that encourages others to support the cause through their own contributions. When someone donates $10 or more to the ING Run For Something Better, ING will recognize their contribution by giving them a special pair of orange shoelaces to wear showing that they are "tied" to supporting kids' fitness. One hundred percent of the net proceeds go to the ING Run For Something Better fitness programs. For more information about the orange laces, go to www.orangelaces.com.

About New York Road Runners

Headquartered in New York City, New York Road Runners (NYRR) is dedicated to advancing the sport of running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and meeting our community's needs. Our goal is to use the expertise acquired in our 52-year history to empower all people to live fitter, healthier lives through participation in our races, community events, instruction and training resources, and youth programs. Our races and other events draw more than 300,000 people each year. The ING New York City Marathon, NYRR's premier event, is the largest and most inclusive marathon in the world, attracting the world's top professional runners every year and raising nearly $25 million for charity in 2009. NYRR's running-based youth programs, which currently serve more than 100,000 children in hundreds of schools and community centers, promote children's health and fitness, character development, and personal achievement in underserved communities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org

About The ING New York City Marathon

The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world's great road races, drawing nearly 105,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $600,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and a worldwide broadcast reach of 330 million. As any one of the more than 830,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information, visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.

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Rhonda Mims

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