Independent Health and the Buffalo Bills are excited to announce that the sixth round of their "Health & Wellness Challenge" will begin next week. The highly-successful program will take place from April 24 through June 4 and will once again be open to the entire community.
The Health & Wellness Challenge was designed as way to help motivate individuals to integrate physical activity and good nutrition into their daily lives by offering them opportunities to win prizes. The first initiative kicked off in October 2014 and drew 2,300 participants. Since then, four more rounds of the Challenge have been held, with participation steadily increasing each round, bringing the total number of participants to 15,738.
This spring's initiative includes a variety of great weekly prizes, as well as a grand prize trip to South Beach to see the Bills take on Miami during the 2017 season. The grand prize includes:
- Roundtrip airfare for two
-Hotel accommodations
-Two game tickets
-A $500 Visa® gift card
-A spa package
-Bills apparel
New!For the first time, participants can also take part in a "Steps Challenge" by syncing their compatible fitness tracker, tracking their steps and earning points to be entered in the additional weekly prize drawing. Every time a participant walks 5,000 steps, they'll earn an entry into the weekly drawing to win a Bills Training Camp V.I.P. Experience and a $100 Visa® gift card.
Those interested in the Health & Wellness Challenge can sign up at buffalobills.com/thechallenge. By registering, participants will be able to attend Monday Night Fitness, a free boot camp class on the field at New Era Field every Monday evening throughout the six-week initiative.
"Independent Health is very pleased to once again be teaming up with the Buffalo Bills to give Western New Yorkers an extra incentive to get healthier," said Michael W. Cropp, M.D., president and CEO, Independent Health. "Through the first five rounds of the Challenge, we've seen nearly 16,000 people take simple steps to improve their long-term health and overall well-being. With the weather becoming nicer, now is the perfect time for everyone to get out, be active and have some fun, while also making better nutritional choices throughout the day. We encourage everyone to get started on a path to a healthier lifestyle by taking part in this spring's Challenge."
"The Health & Wellness Challenge has grown into a biannual staple that gives Western New Yorkers an ideal opportunity to rededicate their focus on living a healthy lifestyle," said Bills Managing Partner and President Russ Brandon. "Our partners at Independent Health are continually ensuring that healthy living is at the forefront of our minds, and are again giving community members an unparalleled amount of extra motivation with these outstanding prizes."
Participants impressed with Health & Wellness Challenge
Engagement and feedback from participants of the Health & Wellness Challenge has been extremely positive. According to a survey of participants after the Fall 2016 Challenge:
-99% said the daily goals/challenges were a good reminder to eat healthy, drink more water and exercise
-98% would participate again in future Challenges
-97% would recommend the Challenge to a friend/family member
-97% said the Challenge motivated them to eat better and exercise more
-97% said the Challenge had a positive influence on their health* *
How the Health & Wellness Challenge works
As part of the Health & Wellness Challenge, participants earn points by meeting three main daily goals:
1) 20 minutes of physical activity
2) Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables
3) Drink eight glasses of water
Participants can also complete one "extra points" challenge each day. As an added bonus, participants who refer their friends, family and co-workers can earn 10 extra points for each person who registers.
The number of points earned throughout the Health & Wellness Challenge will determine the number of chances participants have in the prize drawings. In addition to the grand prize trip to South Beach, five participants will be selected at random each week to receive a prize, including autographed Bills memorabilia, Bose® wireless headphones, fitness trackers and gift cards for workout apparel and sporting goods.
Participants can keep track of their progress and learn about that day's "extra points" challenge by logging-in at buffalobills.com/thechallenge. To be eligible to win a prize, participants must be at least 18 years of age and a legal resident of New York State at the time of entry. **
