In a continuing effort and focus on transforming health care and helping people get healthy and stay healthy, WellPoint announced today it is pleased to partner with Gary Earl Health in the 2013 Journey for Health Tour. This inspirational, educational health focused bicycle tour across the country is designed to motivate and inspire individual, business and community health improvement. The goal of the 45 day, 3,200 mile journey, which will begin in Long Beach California on August 22 and end in New York City on Monday, October 7, Child Health Day, is to help change the dialog on health and create a movement that expands people’s comprehension of health care and approach toward this critically important topic.

“Our health care system continues to face growing challenges including rising rates of chronic disease, access and affordability; and individuals, businesses and communities alike are beginning to sense health’s broader impact on productivity, security, sustainability and society,” said Ken Goulet, executive vice president of WellPoint’s commercial and specialty business. “We know that health and wellness is central to individual and community health as well as our nation’s success, and is at the heart of what we do through all of WellPoint’s affiliated brands and resources. By working with Gary Earl and through the Journey for Health Tour, we hope to reach more of our affiliated health plan members and people in our communities to provide information and tools to help them live healthy lives.”

The Journey for Health Tour represents the personal and professional passions and experience of its creator, Gary Earl, a nationally recognized health and well-being professional who for more than three decades of health and wellness leadership has helped companies, communities and individuals to experience the value of positive health. This national tour represents a collaborative effort between two organizations dedicated to improving the health of individuals and our communities, and in this case, educate, inspire and motivate Americans to commit to better health.

Throughout the tour, Gary and the riders will share the message of good health in their blog posts, daily health tips and most importantly, meeting with people in the communities across the country including cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Denver, St Louis, Indianapolis, Columbus, Philadelphia and New York City. Through WellPoint’s corporate foundation and its support of Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s (BGCA) Triple Play program, the riders, including BGCA senior director of Healthy Lifestyles Wayne B. Moss during the first leg, will meet with and discuss the importance of good health with kids at local Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the country. In an effort to encourage healthy habits and get kids involved with the Tour and “ride along” with Gary, the WellPoint Foundation will be donating state of the art indoor-use fitness cycles to Clubs in select cities.

“Our goal is to bring this important message of the power and potential in health improvement to all people, one person, one mile at a time in order to inspire and engage those that can and will in living out healthier lifestyles and activities,” adds Gary Earl, founder of the tour. “We recognize that change is not as easy as shifting gears on a bicycle and that health, like life, is a journey for each individual, but we also know that change can occur when small incremental steps (or pedals on a bike) are made and in so, we will be encouraging people to commit to take that important step forward in lifestyle changes that fit their individual situation, environments and conditions. And for those individuals, businesses and communities that are well down their path of health improvement, we have an entire toolbox of helpful and challenging visions and innovations that can only enhance their opportunities to evolve health from an expense into an asset for all.”

Additional Information about the Journey for Health Tour is available at www.journeyforhealthtour.com. You can also follower the riders on Twitter at www.twitter.com/j4htour.

Logo courtesy WellPoint, Inc