LITTLE ROCK — The winners of the 2016 Blue & You Fitness Challenge were revealed during a ceremony held June 21 at the Statehouse Convention Center in downtown Little Rock.

"Thousands of Americans competed to win the Challenge this year," said Richard Cooper, vice president of Human Resources for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. "The 5,707 individuals participating in those groups logged 513,554 exercise points during the contest," Richard said. "At one point per 30 minutes, this represents over 256,000 hours of exercise.

2016 Blue & You Fitness Challenge Winners

Group Category 1 (2-4 Participants)
1st place – Active Arkies of Midway, Ark.
2nd place – Sole Mates of Jacksonville, Ark.
3rd place – On the Move of Little Rock, Ark.

Group Category 2 (5-8 Participants)
1st place – 2BF3 of Oxford, Ohio
2nd place – Lucas/Robertson Family Warriors of Lake St. Louis, Mo.
3rd place – TIE

• FACT, Inc. of El Dorado, Ark.
• The Cason Group of Columbia, S.C.

Group Category 3 (9-11 Participants)
1st place – The Ten Wonders of Clinton, Ark.
2nd place – Arkansas State Plant Board of Little Rock, Ark.
3rd place – TIE

• Arkansas Pediatric Clinic of Little Rock, Ark.
• Lamar Middle School of Lamar, Ark.

Group Category 4 (12-17 Participants)
1st place – RoArk Group of Rogers, Ark.
2nd place – SFLIC of Hot Springs, Ark.
3rd place – T

• Baptist Health of North Little Rock, Ark.
• Future Fuel Chemical Company of Batesville, Ark.

Group Category 5 (18-22 Participants)

1st place – SilverSneakers of Clinton, Ark.
2nd place – Arkansas Workers’ Compensation of Little Rock, Ark.
3rd place – Arkansas Best Federal Credit Union of Fort Smith, Ark.

Group Category 6 (23-28 Participants)

1st place – Johnson Dermatology of Fort Smith, Ark.
2nd place – Lamar Elementary School of Lamar, Ark.

3rd place – Union Bank of Monticello, Ark.

Group Category 7 (29-37 Participants)

1st place – ACHI of Little Rock, Ark.
2nd place – TIE

• UAFS (University of Arkansas at Fort Smith)
• Central Arkansas Water of Little Rock, Ark.

3rd place – Team Hackler of Mountain Home, Ark.

Group Category 8 (38-59 Participants)

1st place – TDK-Lambda Americas, Inc. of National City, Calif.
2nd place – TSA – Arkansas of Little Rock, Ark.
3rd place – Bost, Inc. of Fort Smith, Ark.

Group Category 9 (60-99 Participants)

1st place – Nucor Yamato Steel of Blytheville, Ark.
2nd place – Propak Logistics, Inc. of Fort Smith, Ark.
3rd place – Administrative Office of the Courts of Little Rock, Ark.

Group Category 10 (100-249 Participants)

1st place – Arkansas Oklahoma Gas Corporation of Fort Smith, Ark.

2nd place – Pace Industries of Fayetteville, Ark.
3rd place – Arkansas Department of Health of Little Rock, Ark.

Group Category 11 (250+ Participants)

1st place – St. Bernards Healthcare of Jonesboro, Ark.
2nd place – Texarkana ISD of Texarkana, Ark.

3rd place – Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield or Little Rock, Ark.

A total of 117 groups representing large and small companies, schools and universities, banks, physician offices, churches, hospitals and state agencies made a commitment to fitness by exercising and reaping the rewards of better fitness.

"Each year Blue & You Fitness Challenge participants learn that just three months of regular exercise can improve their fitness and health," said Keesa Smith, deputy director of Department of Human Services. "Participants had great results again in 2016. More than 600 participants completed an online survey following the program. About 86 percent of respondents said they reached their personal goals through the Challenge. Many of them wanted to increase their exercise or lose weight. Their hard work during these three months showed impressive results. More than 99 percent of the survey participants said their health has improved since completing the Blue & You Fitness Challenge. The hope is that participants will continue the good exercise habits they developed during the Challenge to live a longer, healthier lives."

The Blue & You Fitness Challenge

The Blue & You Fitness Challenge began in 2004 with Arkansas Blue Cross and the Arkansas Department of Health collaborated to create a fun program to encourage employees to work toward the public health recommendation of 30 minutes of adult physical activity each day, most days of the week. For more information about the Blue & You Fitness Challenge, visit BlueAndYouFitnessChallenge-ark.com.

About the Department of Human Services

The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) provides a wide range of social services to more than a million Arkanas citizens each year through its programs and private providers. DHS maintains offices in each of the state’s 75 counties where a person can apply for all the services DHS offers. Services are provided to people from all walks of life and all ages. Major programs which fall under the Arkansas Department of Human Services include the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, and the Medicaid program which account for the largest part of the department’s $6.2 billion annual budget.

About the Arkansas Department of Health

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is a centralized health department, operating health units in each of the state’s 75 counties. County governments provide facilities and support for the clinical, environmental and home health services offered by the agency. ADH works to protect, improve and promote the health of all Arkansans with the support of more than 5,000 dedicated employees and public and private partners. Each year, Department employees monitor and investigate public health disease and threats, provide preventive and personal health services in clinical and in-home settings, enforce laws and regulations, support Hometown Health Improvement, promote healthy behaviors, and respond to public health emergencies.

About Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield

Founded in 1948, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is the largest health insurer in Arkansas. Arkansas Blue Cross and its affiliates have more than 2,700 employees. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is comprised of 36 independent, locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans that collectively provide health care coverage for 100 million — nearly one in three — Americans.