DEERFIELD, Ill., Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Walgreens (NYSE, NASDAQ: WAG) and the National Urban League (NUL) announced today that the Walgreens Way to Well Health Tour with National Urban League will continue through 2013. The national tour will provide free health tests, assessments, education and consulting services to residents in urban and minority communities who experience disproportionately higher rates of preventable disease. The service is free and insurance will not be billed.
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The 2013 tour marks the seventh year Walgreens and the National Urban League have joined together on the community outreach program. In six years, the tour has administered more than half a million health tests valued at $11.4 million to more than 1,000 communities throughout the United States.
The initiative is one of the charitable programs that is supported by the Walgreens Way to Well Commitment®, which began in 2011 as a four-year, $100 million initiative to improve the everyday health of Americans nationwide. It is dedicated to providing accessible, affordable resources for prevention and early detection of chronic diseases – heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Heart disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death among minorities in the U.S., while diabetes is the nation's fastest-growing disease over the past decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The tour will also continue to highlight the Urban League's "I Am Empowered" national service initiative, and will collaborate with Urban League affiliates to encourage members of urban and minority communities to act as their own health advocates by visiting the Walgreens Way to Well Health Tour with NUL.
"The National Urban League remains committed to eliminating barriers to wellness by advocating for, and mobilizing minority communities," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "As communities of color across the country struggle with rising health care costs, we are proud to continue our seven-year partnership on the Way to Well Health Tour with Walgreens. Working together with Walgreens, we hope to provide the health education, testing, and awareness that is critical to empowering communities to strive for a better quality of life."
"Way to Well reflects our commitment to disease prevention and to improving everyday health through education and early detection. With the NUL, the nationwide traveling health tour is one way we deliver on our pledge to improve lives by providing underserved communities greater access to the resources they need," said John Gremer, Walgreens director of community affairs. "We also thank our customers for supporting this cause with us, and ultimately making this important wellness services program a reality by simply purchasing our brand."
The Way to Well Health Tour is partially funded by customers who support the Walgreens wellness services mission by purchasing Walgreens brand health and wellness products. Beginning February 1, 2013 through December, 2013, 1 cent from the purchase of every Walgreens brand health and wellness product, up to $3 million annually, will support bringing preventive wellness services to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Fund®.
The health tour's bundle of free health tests and risk assessments is designed to provide participants with personal health insights that may indicate symptoms and potential risks for cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Tests include total cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, body composition, skeletal muscle, resting metabolism, visceral fat, real body age and body weight*. Collectively, the health tests valued at over $100, are administered to adults age 18 years and older by certified wellness staff and can be completed in approximately 20 minutes. Afterward, participants will consult with a Walgreens pharmacist or certified wellness staff about his or her results.
At tour stop locations, visitors will have access to educational health and wellness resources provided by NUL as well as Walgreens Way to Well partners. Participants also will be able to sign up for Walgreens Balance® Rewards program. It's easy to join and gives members access to sale prices plus opportunities to get points on eligible prescriptions*, immunizations, healthy behaviors and featured items each week. When members choose to redeem their accumulated points, they are rewarded with dollars off a future purchase made in store and online.
To learn when the Way to Well Health Tour is serving a neighborhood near you, visit Walgreens.com/WaytoWell. To learn how the purchase of every Walgreens brand health and wellness product supports bringing Way to Well Commitment services, including the Way to Well Health Tour, to local communities through the Walgreens Way to Well Fund®, visit Walgreens.com/WaytoWell.
*Tests are available to ages 18 and over. Test results are not for diagnostic or treatment purposes and are not conclusive as to the absence or presence of any health condition. Recipients are encouraged to report test results to their primary care provider. Pharmacist consultation with patient does not constitute medical advice.
*Due to state and federal laws, points cannot be earned or redeemed on some items, and points will not be earned in a transaction where Redemption Dollars are used. Points will not be awarded to anyone who is currently, or was at any time in the 6 months prior to purchasing Pharmacy Items, covered by Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or any other government-funded healthcare program. Pharmacy Items must be purchased at participating Walgreens Drugstore, Rxpress, Duane Reade, or Walgreens Pharmacy locations ("Participating Stores") to earn points. Excludes Pharmacy Items purchased from AR, NJ or NY pharmacies and prescriptions transferred to a Participating Store in AL, MS, OR or PR. At Participating Stores located in AR, NJ, and NY where points cannot be earned on Excluded Pharmacy Items, Balance Rewards Members will earn 10 points per $1 spent at those locations for every purchase of a non-prescription vitamin or cough, cold, pain or sleep medication. For terms and conditions, visit Walgreens.com/Balance.
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SOURCE Walgreens and National Urban League