BOISE – Selected schools in Idaho will receive $10,000 for health-related activities from Regence BlueShield of Idaho on behalf of Idaho legislators who placed among the top three teams in a recent walking challenge.
The fifth edition of Move It recently concluded and participating legislators walked more than 7.6 million steps. During the four-week competition, legislators wore Regence-issued pedometers and recorded the number of steps they took during that period.
The District 1 team of Sen. Shawn Keough (R-Sandpoint) and Reps. Eric Anderson (R-Priest Lake) and George Eskridge (R-Dover) won this year’s title just as they did in 2008. This year, the team took 1,510,023 steps.
Everyone’s step is different, but it is estimated that 2,000 steps equals a mile so the winning team walked about 755 miles. Overall, participating legislators walked 7,607,547 steps or about 3,804 miles.
Placing second was the District 25 team of Sen. Michelle Stennett (D-Ketchum) and Reps. Wendy Jaquet (D-Ketchum) and Donna Pence (D-Gooding) with 1,433,343 steps, and in third was the District 17 team of Sen. Elliott Werk (D-Boise) and Reps. Bill Killen (D-Boise) and Sue Chew (D-Boise) with 949,891 steps.
Regence will donate $5,000 to the schools of choice of the District 1 winners, $3,000 to the schools of choice of the District 25 runners-up and $2,000 to the schools of choice of the third-place District 17 team. The schools will be selected by the legislators later this month.
“By participating in programs like the Move It competition, our state leaders encourage healthier behaviors for our young people,” said Scott Kreiling, President of Regence BlueShield of Idaho. “We would like to thank members of the Idaho legislature for continuing to help us promote this healthy competition.”
Regence began the program because of the rising rate of childhood obesity. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that approximately one third of all adolescents do not get the recommended amount of physical activity. Studies suggest that time spent watching television, playing video games and using computer has contributed to this decrease in physical activity.
About Regence BlueShield of Idaho
Regence BlueShield of Idaho is a leading health plan in Idaho with more than 210,000 members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence is the largest health insurer in the Northwest / Intermountain Region, serving more than 2.5 million members as Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah and Regence BlueShield (selected counties in Washington). Each plan is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Regence is committed to improving the health of our members and our communities and to transforming our health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or www.twitter.com/RegenceIdaho.