Horizon BCBSNJ Teams Up with Pro Golfer and NJ Native Morgan Hoffmann for the Horizon Healthy Steps Challenge to Benefit the NJ Golf Foundation
Edison, New Jersey (PRWEB) August 26, 2015 -- Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ) and PGA TOUR player Morgan Hoffmann are stepping up their game again this year with The Horizon Healthy Steps Challenge during The Barclays tournament at The Plainfield County Club this weekend. The Exclusive Health + Wellness Center Sponsor of The Barclays, Horizon BCBSNJ will make a $5,000 donation to the New Jersey Golf Foundation, the charitable arm of the New Jersey PGA Section, which is designed to positively impact lives and communities through the game of golf.
For the third straight year of The Barclays, Hoffmann, a native of Wyckoff New Jersey, accepted The Horizon Healthy Steps Challenge to raise additional funds for the New Jersey Golf Foundation. For every 10,000 steps that Hoffmann records on his Fitbit during The Barclays, Horizon BCBSNJ will donate an additional $1,000 to the Foundation.
“Morgan Hoffman has been a great supporter of the New Jersey Golf Foundation and Horizon’s efforts to promote healthy living during The Barclay’s Tournament by agreeing to our Healthy Steps Challenge,” said Jonathan R. Pearson, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility for Horizon BCBSNJ. “Morgan truly cares about golf and its fans and we appreciate the time he has spent with us and the young fans we work with to promote exercise and good health. We hope to see Morgan walking off the 18th green with a win on Sunday.”
Throughout the competition, Horizon BCBSNJ and Morgan Hoffmann will take to social media to talk about their experiences at The Barclays, and encourage spectators near and far to stay active and get involved online. Fans can follow the hash tag #HealthyStepsNJ to get real time updates from Hoffmann about the tournament and the Healthy Steps Challenge.
“I am honored that Horizon has asked me to take The Horizon Healthy Steps Challenge again this year,” said Hoffmann. “I’m going to do my best to walk all four days, encourage spectators on the golf course to walk with me and for those at home, to follow along at #HealthyStepsNJ.”
Through the PGA TOUR’s charitable efforts, millions of dollars each year go back to communities where tour events like The Barclays are played, benefitting nearly 3,000 charities and countless individuals worldwide. In fact, last year PGA TOUR celebrated crossing the $2 billion mark in charitable giving since the organization was founded.
“The good health and well being of the children in our communities always come first to the New Jersey Golf Foundation,” said Chris Hunt, Executive Director of the New Jersey Golf Foundation. “We’re very appreciative of the support from Horizon and Morgan, and we are pleased that the children we serve have someone like Morgan to look up to.”
In a similar walking challenge at The Barclays last year, Hoffman recorded 75,000 steps, raising an additional $7,500, which brought Horizon BCBSNJ’s total donation to the New Jersey Golf Foundation to $12,500 in 2014. In 2013, Hofmann’s steps at The Barclays helped to generate a $9,000 total donation to the New Jersey Golf Foundation.
This is the sixth year of the collaboration between Horizon BCBSNJ and The Barclays. Horizon will be back again this year on the course encouraging spectators to participate in a variety of health-related games and activities at its Health and Wellness Expo. This year, Horizon BCBSNJ was also the presenting sponsor of The Barclays Youth Day Golf Clinic, which was attended on Tuesday by approximately 500 aspiring young central New Jersey-area golfers.
About Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the state's oldest and largest health insurer is a tax-paying, not-for-profit health service corporation, providing a wide array of medical, dental, and prescription insurance products and services. Horizon BCBSNJ is leading the transformation of health care in New Jersey by working with doctors and hospitals to deliver innovative, patient-centered programs that reward the quality, not quantity, of care patients receive. Learn more at http://www.HorizonBlue.com. Horizon BCBSNJ is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association serving more than 3.8 million members.
About the NJ Golf Foundation
Founded in 2004, the NJGF is the charitable arm of the New Jersey PGA Section. With a focus on 3 core pillars (youth, military, special needs), the NJGF is committed to impacting lives and communities through the game of golf. Led by PGA Professionals, the NJGF hosts a dynamic line-up of programming that provides access for individuals from all backgrounds to experience the game of golf. Signature programs include, Golf In Schools, which is run annually at more than 200 schools, impacting more than 110,000 boys and girls (K-8), and PGA Junior League featuring more than 60 teams throughout New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.njgolffoundation.com.
About The Barclays
The Barclays has been a part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1967 when Jack Nicklaus won the inaugural event at Westchester Country Club. Since that time, some of the greatest players in the game have earned the title including World Golf Hall of Famers Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Raymond Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, Hale Irwin and Curtis Strange. Many of the world’s current top players have won the event as well, including two-time champions Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia; four-time champion Vijay Singh; Dustin Johnson; and 2013 champion Adam Scott. As the first of four playoff events, The Barclays plays a leading role in the FedExCup, the season-long competition that is the centerpiece of the PGA TOUR season.
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Thomas Vincz, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, 973-466-6625, [email protected]
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