April 14, 1999
Boston, April 14, 1999 - As a long time supporter of healthy lifestyles and athletic initiatives, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the nation's very first city-wide walking program. Established as part of Newton's Year 2000 celebration, the Newton/New Balance Walk-A-Block program is an effort to get the people of Newton to explore their own neighborhoods, and do so in a healthful way.
"New Balance is committed to promoting health and fitness, particularly when the initiative has a local impact, therefore a sponsorship of Newton's Walk-A-Block program was a perfect fit for the company," said Amy Gorrigan, Marketing Promotions Coordinator.
The official kick-off of the program will be held on Sunday, April 18 at Newton's City Hall on Commonwealth Avenue. Following a registration period, where participants can pick up reflectors, walking maps, and personal walking journals, Mayor David B. Cohen will lead a walk down CommonHealth Avenue, as Commonwealth Ave. will be called by event organizers.
In addition to the kick-off walk led by the mayor, self-guided tours through Newton's 13 villages have been created to allow residents to explore their neighborhoods on their own time, at their own pace, alone or with a group of friends. Also, there are twenty-one scheduled group walks that anyone can participate in, planned for the rest of the year.
A community effort that encouraged residents to take advantage of all their city has to offer, and promotes a healthy lifestyle at the same time, the Newton/Walk-A-Block program should come to serve as a model for other cities and towns nationwide.
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., headquartered in Boston, MA is a leading manufacturer of technologically innovative, width-sized footwear and apparel for men, women, and children. The range of product categories includes running, walking, cross-training, tennis, golf, basketball, kids, casuals, and outdoor. The company employs 1900 people around the globe, and in 1998 reported worldwide sale of $630 million. For more information about New Balance products, visit http://www.newbalance.com.
