SALISBURY, N.C., March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In continuation of Food Lion's 17-year corporate partnership with the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Food Lion will promote healthy eating and lifestyle choices with engaging activities for its customers and CIAA fans.

This year's CIAA Women's Health & Wellness Symposium, sponsored by Food Lion and Thompson Hospitality, will be held at the Practice Court in the Time Warner Cable Arena on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the tournament week, Feb. 28 through March 5. There will be free health screenings, panel discussions about health-related issues, product samples, workout sessions, giveaways and more.

"We proudly sponsor the symposium each year to encourage our customers and CIAA fans to make healthy choices and live healthy lives," said Garland Scarboro, Food Lion Diversity and Inclusion Manager. "Food Lion has a long-standing commitment as a caring neighbor and strong corporate citizen in the communities in which we serve, and we want to do all that we can to help our customers live well and live strong."

The symposium will offer free health screenings on Thursday, March 3 and Friday, March 4, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, there will be a "Healthy Mind, Body, Spirit" teen summit on Thursday at 6 p.m. where panelists will discuss important teen health issues; and on Friday at 6 p.m., the non-profit organization Amped 4-A-Cure, which supports cancer research through music concerts and more, will ramp up the crowd.

On Saturday, the symposium will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will feature a number of events, including:

• 9 a.m. – Physician's roundtable discussion with moderator Osyris Uqoezwa of the Greater Charlotte Community Representatives Health Fields
• 10 a.m. – Nationwide Insurance's "Healthy Approach to Life: Woman-to-Woman" panel discussion
• 11:20 a.m. – High-intensity, 40-minute Zumba workout with instructor Courtney Jackson  
• Noon – Laugh 4 Life keynote by comedians A.J. Jamal, Doug Williams, Sheryl Underwood and Rod Allison
• 1:15 p.m. – 30-minute workout session with fitness trainer Nettie Reeves
• 1:45 p.m. – Prize drawings from the CIAA, Food Lion and Nationwide Insurance

During the symposium, Food Lion customers and CIAA fans will also learn more about the supermarket's Guiding Stars program, a nutrition guidance program that rates food based on nutrient density using a scientific algorithm and helps grocery shoppers identify healthy food choices.

As an official corporate partner of the CIAA for more than 17 years, Food Lion is the title sponsor for the 2011 Food Lion Women's Tournament.

The CIAA is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II athletic conference consisting mostly of historically African-American institutions of higher education. Each year, Food Lion contributes more than $300,000 to the CIAA, and a third of that amount goes toward scholarships for deserving students at CIAA schools.

About Food Lion Family

The Food Lion family of banners, based in Salisbury, N.C., operates more than 1,300 supermarkets, either directly or through affiliated entities, under the names of Food Lion, Bloom, Harveys or Reid's. These stores meet local customer needs and preferences for the freshest and best quality products. Food Lion Family employs approximately 74,000 associates in 11 Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com

SOURCE Food Lion