EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Healthy SC Challenge Open House and Awards Ceremony Thursday

Residents from Laurens County, community award winners, invited to Governor’s Mansion

May 15, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – May 15, 2007 – Governor Mark Sanford and First Lady Jenny Sanford will host an open house and awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on Thursday, May 24 at 1 p.m., recognizing the winners of the 2007 Healthy SC Challenge. Residents from the winning county, Laurens, will be joined by Healthy SC community award winners across the state.

Determined through 2006 data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Laurens County has a higher percentage improvement in overall health than all other counties as measured by percent change in body mass index (BMI), smoking rates and physical activity combined. With improvement across all three categories, Laurens has moved from 46th to the 23st healthiest county in the state.

Community award winners were judged as delivering the best results among submissions for the award earlier this spring. The 2007 Healthy SC Challenge community award winners have all worked to improve results in health and wellness in their communities. Winners include:

Business – Eastman Chemicals
Community Collaboration – Laurens County Health Care System
Education – Healthy Learners
Faith-based – Dash of Faith, APHA along with the USC School of Public Health and the Baptist Coalition
Government – Club Sugar, Budget and Control Board Prevention Partners
Individual – Louis Yuhasz
Media - ITV
Smoking cessation – The Trumpeter Campaign
Statewide effort – Color Me Healthy
Youth-focused initiative – Bell & Schlau Seminar Relays

South Carolinians rank 48th in overall health and yet we rank 10th in per capita public health spending. We rank 2nd in the nation in diabetes and 2nd for hypertension. And while we’ve made some improvement in the areas of cardiovascular health and reduced smoking rates, obesity rates in South Carolina have climbed 114% since 1990 and 16% last year alone, meaning that nearly 65% of our population is currently overweight or obese.

"Thursday's event is meant to recognize those who are swimming against the tide by working to improve the culture of poor health in our state," said First Lady Jenny Sanford. "My hope is by creating awareness of the importance of good health, others will join in the effort to make South Carolina a healthier place. It's important that we get off of this dangerous treadmill of unhealthy living and implement changes in our communities like those organizations have who are being recognized on May 24th. "

For more information on any of the above programs, please call Curry Hagerty at (803) 737-4772.