EAFocus, Inc. Hosts Press Conference Announcing Collaborative Effort to ‘Pick Up the Pace’ in Flint (Literally!)

EAFocus, Inc. was at it again yesterday morning in Flint! Below average temperatures and overcast skies seem to be a ‘good luck charm’ for us when it comes to organizing and facilitating press conferences in Flint. This time, EAFocus organized a press conference to announce  Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, the Ruth Mott Foundation and the Crim Fitness Foundation are teaming up for the Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Crim Mile Marker Challenge in support of efforts to increase access to the famous Flint run/walk, the Crim.

 

Barb and I arrived at the Community Outreach for Family and Youth (C.O.F.Y.) center in Flint ready to share another good story on collaborative efforts taking place in the city. The C.O.F.Y. center is one of the many facilities utilized by the Crim for their fitness programs and served as the perfect location to host the press conference.

The center is impressive with a bright, welcoming entrance and friendly employees working behind the desk, tidy locker rooms, a walking track above a basketball court, a fitness room complete with treadmills, stationary bikes and workout equipment and numerous other amenities. As we entered the basketball court and headed to a smaller room off to the side, upbeat music from an aerobics class was playing  - perfect for keeping our pre-press conference energy and excitement high.

Steve Wolbert, the director of community relations and government affairs for Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, served as the event’s emcee. A native of Flint, Steve is the go-to guy for telling stories of Flint’s resurgence efforts, this time shared by Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, the Ruth Mott Foundation and the Crim.  In addition to Steve, other speakers included Erin Lamb, the program director for the Crim, Mark Yonan, board chair for the Crim, Sara Rios, president of the Ruth Mott Foundation, Andrew Younger, Race Director of the Crim and Russell Becker, D.O. from the Michigan Vascular Center.

Attendants also heard from Phil Hagerman, CEO of Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy, who addressed why his organization got involved with the Crim saying, “Our goal is to pick up the pace of the energy and momentum of this community.” The last speaker of the press conference was Linda Meyer, a woman who has overcome many obstacles in her life and completed her first Crim 5k last year with financial support from the Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Crim Mile Marker Challenge and training help from the Crim. “I’ve started many things in my life but never finished them… this was something I finally finished,” said Meyer.

Just as quickly as the guests and media arrived they left and another successful press conference was on the books for the EAFocus team! Read more about the Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Crim Mile Marker Challenge here.

Story from mLive: http://www.mlive.com/sports/flint/index.ssf/2013/05/crim_partners_with_diplomat_sp.html

Story from ABC12 Flint: http://www.abc12.com/story/22247285/crim-launches-second-year-of-mile-marker-challenge