GO! St. Louis and St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay
Join Forces to Develop Partnership For Employee Wellness Program


Photo: St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, KMOX Personality Carol Daniel,
GO! St. Louis President Nancy Lieberman and
Ram’s Vice President Bob Wallace

Program Aims to Help Fight Region’s Obesity Problem

St. Louis, MO-- In an effort to encourage employees to make fitness a part of their daily routine and fight the increasing rate of obesity, GO! St. Louis (Formerly Spirit of St. Louis Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend) has established a new wellness initiative for the St. Louis metro community. The new program, GO! St. Louis Mile-by-Mile Marathon is set to kickoff on Friday, September 21 at Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis with a one mile walk to the Gateway Arch and back. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and the City of St. Louis are the first participants in a region-wide program aimed at area companies and their employees. The new initiative will work in conjunction with the city’s Be Fit! Wellness program, which is already in place.

The purpose of the GO! St. Louis Mile-by-Mile Marathon is to help employers create an employee wellness program or compliment their existing fitness activities.   GO! St. Louis hopes to convince less active adults to incorporate exercise in their daily life by asking them to walk 26 miles in six weeks.  GO! St. Louis will work with employers to design a program to meet their needs, including developing two or three walking courses around the facility (or indoor treadmill) and providing log books to use in monitoring employee’s progress. At the half way mark participants will receive a t-shirt and those who finish will receive a medal and finisher's certificate.  GO! St. Louis plans to hold a celebration for the first round of participants in mid-November.

“The GO! St. Louis board of directors and staff are very committed to developing year round fitness and nutrition programs that inspire our community to get active, one step at a time” said Nancy Lieberman, President Go! St. Louis. “We are thrilled that Mayor Slay is the first to participate in our Go! St. Louis Mile by Mile Marathon and is making this investment in the health of his employees.”

“A healthy productive workforce is critical to the future of our great city.  I congratulate GO! St. Louis for expanding their mission to encompass year around activities like today’s National Walk @ Work Day and employers for encouraging their employees to get fit and lead a healthy lifestyle. The City of St. Louis fully supports the GO! St. Louis Mile-by-Mile Marathon and the first mile begins today!”  Slay said.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 64% of all adults are either overweight (33%) or obese (31%) which places people at risk for other serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoarthritis.  In terms of youth, The American Obesity Association reports that 45.9% of children are obese or overweight. Both organizations report that these statistics continue to increase.

GO! St. Louis, formerly Spirit of St. Louis Marathon and Family Fitness Weekend®, recently changed its name to reflect its new broader mission. The organization plans to work year round to leverage community resources to address a critical need -- the health of the region.  They will collaborate with other non profits, business, government, families and others to encourage individuals and families to adopt a healthier lifestyle by getting fit, staying active, and eating a healthy diet. 

In addition to offering events throughout the year, GO! St. Louis will continue to host their signature April marathon fitness weekend, now in its eighth year which attracts more than 16,000 people.