Medifast Advances Philanthropic Initiative, Partners with its OPTAVIA® Community to Promote Healthy Habit Creation
Thousands of volunteers joined forces to invest in the health and wellness of their local communities during the company's Healthy Habits For All™ Week
BALTIMORE, Sept. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Medifast (NYSE: MED), a leading manufacturer and distributor of clinically proven programs and healthy living products, held its first Healthy Habits For All Week, a week of service dedicated to advancing its mission of offering the world Lifelong Transformation, One Healthy Habit at a Time®. The company partnered with its OPTAVIA Community of more than 30,000 independent OPTAVIA Coaches with the goal of promoting healthy habit creation in local communities. From Monday, September 9 through Sunday, September 15, 2019, thousands of OPTAVIA Coaches, community members and many corporate employees joined forces globally to volunteer, fundraise and donate.
"From flagship events to one-of-a-kind fundraisers, this past week marked the start of a movement led by our amazing OPTAVIA Coaches," said Medifast Chief Executive Officer Dan Chard. "One by one, we are investing in the health and wellness of our local communities and bringing healthy habits to our neighbors who need it most. Through Healthy Habits For All, we are succeeding in advancing our mission and empowering generations to adopt healthy habits through education and access."
While thousands of volunteer hours were logged at fundraising and volunteer events hosted by OPTAVIA Coaches, the company partnered with the OPTAVIA Community and non-profit organizations to host four flagship events in Annapolis, Maryland; San Diego, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Brooklyn, New York. Service activities at the events included:
- Assembling bikes for the students at the Living Classroom's Foundation, a Baltimore – Washington, D.C. nonprofit that disrupts the cycle of poverty and makes communities safer, stronger and healthier by teaching lifelong skills to children and youth.
- Packing nearly 4,000 healthy, shelf-stable meals and snacks into backpacks with personalized messages in Brooklyn and Salt Lake City with the non-profit Blessings in a Backpack. The organization provides meals for school children on the federally-funded Free and Reduced Meal Program who are at risk of going hungry on the weekends.
- Helping to revitalize a school in San Diego with HandsOn San Diego, including restoring the school's health and wellness rooms, beautifying the exterior and engaging a PE class to promote healthy motion.
Healthy Habits For All Week is part of Medifast's philanthropic initiative, Healthy Habits For All, which empowers generations to adopt healthy habits. By teaming up with local and national nonprofits, the initiative aims to provide the education and access necessary to make healthy habits a reality for everyone. To date, Medifast and the OPTAVIA Community have helped provide kids in need with up to 2 million healthy meals.
"Healthy Habits For All helps us break the generational chains of poor health by teaching kids and families one healthy habit at a time, the same way our Coaches help their Clients," said Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, OPTAVIA Co-founder and Independent OPTAVIA Coach. "Healthy Habits For All Week brought together thousands of people from around the world who share a common goal: giving kids and families in need the ability to transform their health and wellness destinies."
The company intends for Healthy Habits For All to continue to expand, with Medifast investing more than $2.5 million dollars into the program with the long-term goal of transforming communities and making healthy habits second nature for all.
For more information on Medifast or OPTAVIA, visit www.Medifastinc.com or www.OPTAVIA.com.
About Medifast®:
Medifast (NYSE: MED) is a leading manufacturer and distributor of clinically proven, healthy living products and programs. The brand has been recommended by more than 20,000 doctors since its founding. Its integrated coach model leverages nearly 40 years of experience from medical, franchise, e-commerce and direct selling channels. Medifast and its community of independent OPTAVIA Coaches embrace the future of wellness with a shared vision to offer the world lifelong transformation, one healthy habit at a time®. OPTAVIA® is represented by a community of OPTAVIA Coaches who teach Clients healthy habits, while offering support and guidance on their transformation journey. In 2018, Medifast announced it will expand into the Asia-Pacific markets of Hong Kong and Singapore in 2019 with its integrated coach model. Medifast is traded on the New York Stock Exchange and was named to Forbes' 100 Most Trustworthy Companies in America List in 2016 and 2017. For more information, visit www.MedifastInc.com or www.OPTAVIA.com.
SOURCE Medifast, Inc.
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