STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
MARK SANFORD, GOVERNOR

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Joel Sawyer
803-734-2100
[email protected]

Columbia, S.C. - September 14, 2005 - Gov. Mark Sanford today announced plans for a Fall bike ride as part of his 2nd Annual Family Fitness Challenge, an initiative aimed at improving the health of South Carolinians through encouraging healthier decisions in their day-to-day lives. This year's bike ride will take place on Sunday, October 9th, beginning in Aiken and ending in Columbia. So far this year, the governor has participated in several events as part of the Challenge, including the Orangeburg March of Dimes WalkAmerica event, and a canoe trip through Sparkleberry Swamp.

"A big part of quality of life in our state goes back to how we look and feel as individual South Carolinians, and the fact is that too many of us don't get enough exercise and eat the wrong things, leading to our state being near the top of the list for a whole host of health
problems due to unhealthy lifestyles," Gov. Sanford said. "This bike ride is all about challenging folks to be just a little bit more active every day. Whether you come out and ride five blocks, five miles or 50 miles, I'd invite all South Carolinians to come join with me, Jenny and the boys and take this step toward a healthier state."

Further logistical details of the Governor's Family Fitness Challenge will be posted on Gov. Sanford's website, www.scgovernor.com. The Family Fitness Challenge is part of a larger initiative, the Healthy SC Challenge, a results-oriented initiative aimed at motivating South Carolinians to start making choices to improve health and well-being. The Healthy SC Challenge will reward the county with the best overall improvements in increased physical activity and decreased BMI statistics (weight) and smoking rates. 

Stay tuned for additional details from the Governor's Office regarding Gov. Sanford's Family Fitness Challenge. For additional information please call 803-734-2100, or e-mail [email protected]. 

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Joel D. Sawyer
Communications Office, Governor Mark Sanford
Office: (803) 734-5254
Cell: (803) 446-6713
Fax: (803) 734-6447