NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE AND WALGREENS ANNOUNCE 2009 WELLNESS TOUR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2009
CONTACT:
Natalie Dean
The Walker Marchant Group
202-466-6040
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE AND WALGREENS ANNOUNCE 2009 WELLNESS TOUR
The tour features a 38-foot customized bus that will offer six free screenings.
Deerfield, IL (BlackNews.com) - Through the continuation of a commitment to promote early detection and disease prevention in urban communities, the National Urban League and Walgreens have partnered, once again, to launch the 2009 National Urban League and Walgreens Wellness Tour. Beginning in April, in Sacramento, California, the 10-month Wellness Tour will visit 26 urban communities throughout the country and provide critical health screenings to local residents. Other tour stops include: Houston, Dallas, Cincinnati, Atlanta and New York.
The National Urban League and Walgreens Wellness Tour provides an opportunity for Walgreens to continue to build on its legacy of raising awareness of health issues and encouraging individuals to seek the appropriate resources. The tour features a 38-foot customized bus that will offer six free screenings including: blood pressure, bone density, glucose and cholesterol levels, body mass index and waist circumference. All of these services total more than $100 in value for each participant.
"Walgreens is delighted to continue our partnership with the National Urban League to provide resources that will enable individuals to take a participatory role in their healthcare," said Mark Wagner, executive vice president of store operations for Walgreens Co. "The Wellness Tour is an extension of our commitment to empower all Americans to live healthier lives."
People in urban communities, particularly minorities, experience disproportionately higher rates of preventable disease. In a 2009 study, The New England Journal of Medicine found that blacks are impacted by higher rates of heart failure and specifically:
* Blacks suffer heart failure at a rate 20 times higher than whites;
* One in 100 black men and women will develop heart failure before age 50; and
* Heart failure rates for blacks in their 30's and 40's are the same as whites in their 50's and 60's.
"Early detection and disease prevention are crucial to overcome healthcare disparities," said Marc H. Morial, NUL President and CEO. "The National Urban League is pleased to offer free screenings and educational information to people who otherwise may not have access to these basic health resources. We are excited to be taking this tour to major cities across the country, such as Chicago, New York and Atlanta."
Tour cities include:
Sacramento, CA
San Diego, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
Memphis, TN
St. Louis, MO
Gary, IN
Tulsa, OK
Oklahoma City, OK
Louisville, KY
Columbus, OH
Washington, DC
Cincinnati, OH
Newark, NJ
Knoxville, TN
New Orleans, LA
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Orlando, FL
Columbus, GA
About Walgreens
Walgreen Co. is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2006 sales of $47.4 billion. The company operates 5,584 stores in 47 states and Puerto Rico, including 76 Happy Harry's stores in Delaware and surrounding states. Walgreens also provides additional services to pharmacy patients and prescription drug and medical plans through Walgreens Health Initiatives (a pharmacy benefits manager), Walgreens Mail Service, Walgreens Specialty Pharmacy and Walgreens Home Care.
About the National Urban League
National Urban League (www.nul.org) Established in 1910, The Urban League is the nation's oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. Today, the National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the non-partisan efforts of its local affiliates. There are over 100 local affiliates of the National Urban League located in 35 states and the District of Columbia providing direct services to more than 2 million people nationwide through programs, advocacy and research.
