DALLAS (BP)–The Living@YourBest Wellness Walk/Run scheduled to be held during the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention in Greensboro, N.C. has been canceled for this year, but will resume at the convention to be held in San Antonio 2007.
“We are disappointed that we won’t be able to hold the event this year,” said GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins. “However, with most of the convention hotels located several miles from the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, we are concerned that the lack of transportation will prevent individuals from getting to the walk site on Tuesday morning and then back for scheduled convention meetings.”
“Although we won’t be having the walk this year, we encourage SBC attendees to take advantage of other health resources provided at the convention,” Hawkins said, adding that the GuideStone Wellness Center will offer a “free, comprehensive health screening valued at over $150 to all SBC attendees.”
The Wellness Center will be located on the exhibit floor in the Coliseum Complex. Attendees can stop by during regular exhibit hours to receive their free health screening that includes a heart health profile, blood pressure and cholesterol check, blood sugar check, body mass index measurement and, for women, an osteoporosis screening.
As a provider of life and health care coverage for Southern Baptist employees, GuideStone has challenged Southern Baptists to take responsibility for their own health by getting regular health screenings, making healthful food choices and including regular physical activity in their everyday lives.
“Preventable diseases affect all of us directly or indirectly in increased health care costs and medical plan rates,” Hawkins said. “Conditions like heart disease and diabetes, most of which can be prevented or controlled by lifestyle changes, account for a significant portion of the prescription drug and medical claims for GuideStone’s medical plan participants each year.”
For the past three years, the wellness walk has provided an opportunity to raise awareness about the ways in which a healthy lifestyle contributes to the prevention of chronic health conditions, which in turn can help control health care costs.
“We stand strong in our commitment to wellness,” Hawkins said. “We look forward to resuming the Living@YourBest Wellness Walk at the SBC meeting in San Antonio next year.”
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