For Immediate Release
April 14, 2008

Employees plan to walk out on April 15 for Start! Walking Day

(Newport News, VA) - On Tuesday, April 15, the American Heart Association's Start! movement is calling on corporate America and companies in the Peninsula to encourage all employees to wear their sneakers to work and Start! Walking. The purpose of Start! Walking Day is to get more Americans to become physically active by walking.

Who:	Local Start! sponsor Ferguson Enterprises
Where:	Ferguson Enterprises - 12500 Jefferson Ave . Newport News, VA 23602
When:	Start! Walking Day, April 15
	10:00am - Ferguson President and CEO John Stegeman will lead employees and neighboring businesses in a walk around the Ferguson campus

Adults may gain as many as two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular, vigorous exercise. Start! Walking At Work Day is part of the American Heart Association's Start! movement. The movement is designed to get Americans up and moving. Start! challenges corporations and their workforce to promote physical fitness and break down the obstacles that keep Americans from being active. The movement focuses on walking as an activity because it's accessible, free and has the lowest dropout rate of any type of exercise. Another component of Start!, the Start Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition Program acknowledges organizations for prioritizing the health of their employees. The American Heart Association has recognized both Ferguson Enterprises and Riverside Health System as Fit Friendly companies on the Peninsula.

All Peninsula businesses are encouraged to be part of Start! Walking Day. Participation is easy and free. Just visit www.americanheart.org/start or call 757-628-2618. Companies who participate can receive a free packet with instructions and tools. Employers are encouraged to allow employees to wear their sneakers to work on April 15.

Start! Walking Day seeks to address the rising trend of physical inactivity among the nation's workforce. Americans are working an astonishing 164 more hours per year than 20 years ago. More of the nation's workforce is in sedentary occupations, which leads to physical inactivity, which leads to greater risk for heart disease and stroke. Each year, Americans suffer 1.2 million heart attacks. Cardiovascular disease and stroke continue to be the nation's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, claiming 870,000 lives each year.

"Start! Walking Day is a great way for individuals to make a significant change for a better, longer life. In addition to increased life expectancy, regular walking has many proven benefits for an individual's overall health. Brisk walking for 30 minutes a day can lower both bad cholesterol (LDL) levels and high blood pressure. It can help individuals who are overweight achieve and maintain weight loss, and reduce their risk of stroke," said Dr. Richard Stein, American Heart Association spokesperson and Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

Start! is sponsored nationally by SUBWAY® restaurants, Healthy Choice® and AstraZeneca®. Start! Peninsula is sponsored by Ferguson Enterprises and Riverside Health System. For more information about Start! Walking Day call 757-628-2618 or visit americanheart.org/start.

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About the American Heart Association
Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation's oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to reducing disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke. These diseases, America's No. 1 and No. 3 killers, claim about 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2005-06 the association invested over $543 million in research, professional and public education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org.