In an effort to engage communities of like-minded people in health and wellness activities, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has started using the social networking site Meetup.com to sponsor a cycling group. The Meetup group, Scenic Cycling in Chattanooga, has combined the site with BlueCross’ promotions of its activities to sign up 50 individuals and organize 25 rides or meetings.
“Meetup provides an easy and convenient way to coordinate and announce upcoming ride information in a collaborative environment,” said Danny Jenkins, a BlueCross employee and co-organizer for Scenic Cycling. “Being able to rate and share what we like and dislike about specific rides allows us to create unique cycling experiences that all will enjoy. Ultimately, the main goal is to move, involve our community, and live a healthier lifestyle.”
“We are thrilled with the success of our pilot Meetup group, Scenic Cycling,” said Jennifer Tedeschi, social media strategist for BlueCross. “Moving out of the pilot phase, we are now actively seeking other people in Tennessee who are interested in starting their own BlueCross-sponsored health and wellness groups.”
Meetup.com is a social networking platform that provides people with the opportunity to meet online and organize offline, real-world groups and activities. There are 79,000 local Meetup groups made up of over 7 million people in 45,000 cities worldwide. The mission of Meetup is to “revitalize local communities and help people around the world self-organize.”
People can join BlueCross’ cycling Meetup group at http://www.meetup.com/Scenicycling/. For information on organizing a BlueCross-sponsored Meetup group, please visit http://www.facebook.com/bcbst?v=app_17037175766.
