Saucony Releases iPhone App to Raise Money to Fight Childhood Obesity

Saucony said iPhone users can download its  Run4Good app to support of National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. “With every mile, runners will be earning money for community youth running programs, putting kids back on the fast track to health,” reads a company release.

An emerging triad of running, charity, and technology is the driving force behind the new app. According to Running USA’s2012 State of the Sport, Americans are running in record numbers and the rise in charity runners is fueling a second running boom. Likewise,the survey reports that the U.S. running community is fast becoming an app nation unto itself,with running apps set to increase more than tenfold by 2016 according to market research firm ABI Research.

Recognizing the confluence of these trends, Saucony developed the GPS-enabled app, opening the door for runners everywhere to join the fight against childhood obesity without having to enter a charity race or open their wallets. Simply by running, the Saucony Run4Good app allows people to support the cause by earning donations for miles run. Each month, when a predetermined mileage goal is reached, Saucony will double its donation to selected youth running programs, inspiring individual runners to both unite over their passion for running and combat the childhood obesity epidemic. On the app’s monthly leader boards, runners can challenge friends and join teams that compete together to accumulate mileage toward the monthly goal. Starting on September 5th, the free app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or by going to saucony.com/run4good.

 
“At Saucony, our brand mission is to inspire others to run─and that includes our kids,” said Chris Lindner, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of commerce for Saucony.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for the community to do good by doing what we love─running. As a brand focused on runners, innovation and social responsibility, we believe the Saucony Run4Good appoffers a new world of possibilities to engage with our community in a relevant, innovative and meaningful way whileinspiring a strong unity of purpose to make a difference for our kids.”

“Delivering the first app in the running industry that address childhood obesity underlines our continued commitment to this issue,” said Richie Woodworth, president of the Saucony Run For Good Foundation Board of Directors and Saucony, Inc. “We started the Saucony Run For Good Foundation seven years ago to help in the national effort to eradicate this epidemic. Since that time, we’ve awarded nearly $1 million in grants to over 100 organizations nationwide, all dedicated to getting more kids active. TheSaucony Run4Good app is an impactful way for more people to connect as a community and take action.”

Five non-profit organizations were recently awarded a grant from the Saucony Run For Good Foundation™. For the next five months, beginning in September, a community mileage challenge will be set, and one of the recent award winners will be profiled. If the community mileage goal is reached during that month, Saucony will double its contribution to the featured organization.

The American Diabetes Association® New England Division is the highlighted organization for the September launch of theSaucony Run4Good app. ADA New England is launching Run For Your Life!, a clinical weight loss program for overweight and obese youth in the Greater Boston area. The ADA’s program will use running as the foundation of physical activity to facilitate significant lifestyle changes in the program’s participants.

The complete list of the Saucony Run For Good Foundation grant winners to be featured on theSaucony Run4Good app in the coming months is as follows: