Richfield Mayor Joins Blue Cross 'do Groove Guy' to Kick-Off New Health Initiative

along with Mayor Gene Winstead of Bloomington and Mayor Jim Hovland of Edina will join Dr. Marc Manley—*chief prevention officer of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota's "do Groove" campaign—to kick-off a new pilot program that promotes healthy living and eating habits in the respective cities.

"[The project] will focus on preventing illness caused by unhealthy eating and physical inactivity, which combined are the second leading cause of death and disease in Minnesota," a Blue Cross press release stated. "Currently, two-thirds of Minnesotans are overweight or obese, and treating obesity related diseases is on track to add nearly $3.7 billion to Minnesota’s annual health care costs by 2020."

Blue Cross hopes the new project will engage community leaders and promote one's community as a place where the healthy choice is the easy choice.

The event is taking place at noon Tuesday at Normandale Lake Park in Bloomington. The mayors will join Blue Cross members and the do Groove Guy for a short walk around the lake to officially kick-off the campaign.

Editor's Note: Dr. Marc Manley was listed as the "do Groove Guy," however this was incorrect. The article has been corrected to reflect new information received.