CINCINNATI, O.H., May 3, 2006 -- SparkPeople.com, a leading weight loss web site with over 100,000 members has committed to donate memberships, each with a value of over $100 per year, to all March of Dimes employees and their family members in an effort to help more people achieve their weight loss and healthy living goals, SparkPeople.com Founder and CEO Chris Downie announced today.
This donation has evolved from the national sponsorship of SparkPeople.com subsidiary, BabyFit.com who has committed to donate $2 million in cash and in-kind promotion to the March of Dimes over the next three years. This membership donation is an important part of a broader effort to help fight America's “obesity epidemic” called The SparkPeople.com $100 Million Membership Giveaway. As part of this effort, SparkPeople has committed to give away at least one million FREE memberships in 2006.
BabyFit.com, the first and only online healthy pregnancy planner, is a national sponsor of WalkAmerica, March of Dimes' largest fundraising event and SparkPeople.com saw this as an opportunity to help employees of the March of Dimes, along with their families, continue their weight loss and healthy living efforts year-round.
“We are a very mission-based company. When we saw an opportunity to use our site to help the employees of the March of Dimes in their weight loss and healthy living efforts, we knew it was something we had to do,” Downie said. “SparkPeople's goal is to help as many people as possible to reach their goals and lead meaningful lives. We've made a commitment to that goal not only by providing people with healthy living resources and tools on SparkPeople.com, but also by supporting the employees and families of the March of Dimes with this donation.”
"We're delighted that SparkPeople.com has made this donation to the March of Dimes,” said Rick Martino, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer for the March of Dimes. "Together, we can give our employees and their families the tools they need to reach their goals and live healthier lives.”
“My life is awesome now,” says Angela, a SparkPeople.com member, who claims she was “sick and tired of being sick and tired!” “SparkPeople.com was VERY important to my success, and still is very important now that I am trying to maintain my weight loss”. Angela still uses the Nutrition and Exercise Trackers every day to gauge how she is doing.
“Now that March of Dimes employees and their families have access to these valuable tools, we hope that Angela's success will spread,” Downie said
About SparkPeople Inc.
SparkPeople Inc. is a leading online preventive health company that offers personalized online programs to help members learn how to get fit and live healthier lives. Their main web properties include BabyFit.com and SparkPeople.com. BabyFit.com is the world's leading online healthy pregnancy planner, and provides personalized programs to help women have the healthiest pregnancies possible. SparkPeople.com is a premium weight loss and healthy living website that guides and supports people who are ready to stop dieting for good and make the transition to a permanent, healthy lifestyle. The SparkPeople philosophy, combined with smart motivational strategies and a collection of personalized online tools, has helped thousands of members lose weight and keep it off. SparkPeople.com is the only premium diet site to offer their services for free.
About March of Dimes
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at www.marchofdimes.com or its Spanish language Web site at www.nacersano.org.
