Step by Step
Statewide tour focuses on healthy living
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
BB&T employee Diana Tuffin pedaled
hard She leaned forward on the stationary
bike, her face a study in concentration.
"I can do this, I can do this," she chant
ed, ignoring the camera in her face, "I can
do this."
Moments later, Tuffin had managed to
successfully blend the pitcher full of
smoothie that was affixed to the bike. She
dismounted triumphantly, cheering and
pumping her fists in the air.
The bike Tuffin had ridden was one of
the innovative creations Blue Cross / Blue
Shield of North Carolina brought to the
front of the BB&T headquarters Tuesday as
part as their Million Step March campaign.
The MSM campaign is the company's
newest wellness initiative.
"We're excited to have it; it's a great
program and 1 think it fits very well into
what BB&T does," said BB&T Benefits
Manager Steve Reeder. "We've had a well
ness program in place for about 20 years at
BB&T; it gets employees informed about
their health, their exercise, their eating
habits, and this is a great way to get people
out and involved."
As part of the MSM tour, Gary Marino
and Kathy Higgins are traversing the state
on foot. By the end of the 75-day-long
journey, the two will have walked from
Asheville to Wilmington - more than 600
miles and visited 60 cities and towns.
"It's a historic e^fcrit to actually do a
walk across North Carolina - we're not
aware of anyone else who has ever done
this," stated Higgins, vice president of
community relations for BCBSNC.
All across the state, MSM participants
are joining the effort, by logging on the
Web site and recording their physical activ
ities. Those who exercise at least once a
week are entered into weekly drawings to
win prizes like GPS systems and back
packs.
Railing against obesity and promoting
healthy lifestyles has been a long standing
objective for BCBSNC, Higgins says.
A 48-foot MSM trailer travels to every
stop. The trailer is fully equipped, with a
kitchen and seating area for healthy cook
ing demonstrations; the "workplace of the
future," which features treadmills with
wireless internet-equipped laptops
attached; and of course, the smoothie
cycles.
Administrative Assistant Ilene Dye
ducked outside during a break to see what
all the commotion was about.
Photos by Lav la Farther
Diana Tuffin peddles on the Smoothie Cycle.
"Just curious, just wanted to make sure
that I am healthy, staying fit, eating right
like I am doing, just want to continue what
I'm doing," she said. "I'm 46 now so I'm
kind of wanting to stay (feeling) like every
body says I'm looking - young.
"I ...
* i waiu iu uc
healthy - my kids are
grown ... they're
already gone on,"
she added. "I'm at
the point in my life
where I want to
make sure I get out
there and do the
things thatr 1 want to
do; I've been a mom,
raised them, now it's
time for me to do my
thing."
Rteder
Boston native Uary Marino has logged
hundreds of miles in an effort to promote
healthy living.
"I really started to get involved in child
hood obesity back in Boston, where I'm
from, you know, decided, what can we do?
What contributions can we make as a small
nonprofit in Boston? One concept was to
do these walking campaigns all around the
country," he explained. "Thank goodness
the folks at Blue Cross in North Carolina
took notice of what I've been doing and
they decided to do it for these people and
for this state - a state that's very much in
need of it, frankly."
Marino, who describes himself as " a
professional work in progress," says he
became passionate about the subject of
obesity five years ago, when he decided to
pare down his then-297-pound frame.
"I made a decision that I hope that a lot
of people do and that is to get vigilant
about my health and embrace the ... radical
concept of eating right and exercising,"
Marino said. "Through that, I have man
aged to lose 150 (pounds) so far."
While fighting to keep his waistline
decreasing, Marino's thoughts turned to
others.
"In the process of trying to fix yourself,
you have to research the epidemic of obesi
ty, so I spent a lot of time in bookstores, in
libraries, doing that and really got passion
ate in the process," he said. "Anybody who
knows me knows I am the type of person
that I'm not going to just fix myself and
move on; I'm gojng stay involved, try to
prevent future little Gary Marinos."
The walk is a dream come true for
Higgins.
"I've actually always wanted to walk
across North Carolina ... so when we start
ed talking about it at Blue Cross, I jumped
at the chance," she commented. "I've
always wanted to visit all 100 counties and
I'm close to getting that done."
To participate in the Million Step
March or for more information, visit
www.betterhealthnc .com .
News
Clips
Initiative cites speeders
The Governor's Highway
Safety Program has
announced that state and
local law enforcement offi
cers cited 11,241 motorists
for speeding during the No
Need 2 Speed campaign,
which ran March 31 through
April 6, in conjunction with
the State Highway Patrol's
Operation Slow Down. A
total of 31,928 traffic and
criminal citations were
issued Statewide.
"Once again, state and
local law enforcement have
partnered to dedicate their
time and effort to remove
speeders from our roads,"
said Darrell Jernigan, direc
tor of GHSP "I thank each
officer who participated in
this life-saving campaign."
Officers also issued
2,697 safety belt and 385
child passenger safety viola
tions and 775 drug charges.
In addition, they apprehend
ed 175 fugitives from justice
and recovered 51 stolen
vehicles.
Local man completes Air
Force training
Air Force Airman Joshua
T. Whisenhunt has graduated
from basic military training
at Lackland Air Force Base,
San Antonio, Texas.
During the six weeks of
train
ing, the
airman
studied
the Air
Force
mis
sion,
organi
zation,
and
military
c u s -
Whisenhunt
'
toms and courtesies; per
formed drill and ceremony
marches, and received physi
cal training, rifle marksman
ship, field training exercises,
and ?pecial training in
human relations.
In addition, airmen who
complete basic training earn
credits toward an associate
degree through the
Community College of the
Air Force.
Whisenhunt is the son of
Mark 1 and Jannette
Whisenhunt of- Winston
Salem. The airman is a 2003
graduate of the Salem
Baptist Christian School in
Winston-Salem.
Legal scholar to discuss
torture debate
David Luban, University
Professor at the Georgetown
University Law Center will
deliver the James Steintrager
Lecture in Political
Philosophy and
Jurisprudence at 4:30 p.m.
April 25 at Wake Forest
University's Winston Hall in
room 126. Luban's lecture,
titled "Unthinking the
Ticking Bomb: Fact and
Fantasy in the TorturcL^
Debate," is co-sponsoreaby I x
the Departments of
Philosophy and Political
Science and the School of
Law. The event is free and
open to the public.
Luban is a prominent fig
ure in the debate over the
use of torture in the war on
terrorism, and is known for
his work on legal ethics. His
book "Legal Ethics" is cur
rently in its fourth edition.
Other books include
"Lawyers and Justice: An
Ethical Study" and "Legal
Ethics and Human Dignity."
His articles have appeared in
magazines such as Harper's,
as well as numerous philo
sophical and law review
journals.
Luban is also an expert
on international criminal
law. He has written on the
topics of crimes against
humanity and preventive
war.
"All North Carolinians
can have good jobs and
affordable health care
that's why I'm running for
Governor. Together, we can
do this.
- Bev Perdue
? Quality affordable health care for all
? Better schools for our children
? Good Jobs for a strong economic future
'
Vote for Bev Perdue,
?
a Lifetime Member
of the NAACP
v
Paid for by the Rev IVrduc Committee