Fitweek is coming!

2^nd ANNUAL FITWEEK® EVENT TO TAKE PLACE SEPTEMBER 30^th- OCTOBER 6^th IN GREATER NEW HAVEN AND FAIRFIELD COUNTIES

-- Event To Raise Awareness of Local Fitness Resources -- 

--100% of Proceeds from FITWEEK® Pass to Support Cancer Research and Patient Care --

Greater New Haven, Fairfield, CT, August 19, 2013 – Get ready to lunge, jump or run to The 2^nd Annual FITWEEK Event taking place at a gym near you!

The 2^nd annual fitness event, hosted by FITWEEK, will take place September 30^th- October 6^th at participating gyms and fitness studios located in Greater New Haven and Fairfield Counties. The FITWEEK Event aims to help local residents “turn their workweek into a FITWEEK” by raising awareness of the benefits of making a long-term commitment to an active lifestyle and encouraging people to find ways to incorporate fitness into their daily lives.

The kickoff event, in conjunction with On9 New Haven, will be held on Friday, September 6^th at 6:00pm at Pitkin Plaza, located near the corner of Orange Street and Chapel Street.  The festivities will include a FREE outdoor Zumba Fitness and Yoga class, giveaways, and other fitness demos. 

The Fitweek Pass will be available for purchase on Friday, September 6^th through the FITWEEK website, http://www.fitweek.com. Log on to fitweek.com to receive fabulous fitness tips and videos from FITWEEK Founder, Shana Schneider, and to be notified when the FITWEEK Pass becomes available. The FITWEEK pass provides FREE access to hundreds of fitness classes at participating businesses throughout the area.  Classes cover a wide range of activities, including Jiu Jitsu, Pound, Zumba Fitness, Crossfit, Yoga, Boot Camp, Pilates, Kettlebell, and more. Passes will be sold for $20.  All proceeds from the individual sales of the pass will be donated to the Closer to Free Fund supporting cancer research at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven.

 “As a working woman, I can easily empathize with those who say they don't have time to add a fitness program into their busy schedules,” said Shana Schneider, Yale graduate and Founder of FITWEEK.  “Through the annual FITWEEK event, we are excited to provide an easy and fun way for people to learn how to incorporate fitness into their everyday lives by offering them access to hundreds of FREE classes, which they may not have otherwise tried. We’re also delighted to help raise awareness about the importance of exercise in the prevention and recovery of cancer by providing 100% of the proceeds from the FITWEEK Pass to support the Closer to Free Fund. ”

Dr. Anees Chagpar, Director, The Breast Center at Smilow Cancer Hospital says, “We are grateful to Shana and the many sponsors of FITWEEK for donating 100% of the proceeds to the Closer to Free Fund supporting cancer research and helping to raise awareness about how exercise can help with prevention and support recovery from this widespread disease.”

Additional events taking place throughout the week to include themed FITWEEK Walks, FITWEEK Happy Hours and FITgroup Events that allow people to be social and try new fitness trends and activities together.  Please visitwww.fitweek.com for a full calendar listing of events.

FITWEEK is sponsored by Higher One, Being Well at Yale, Yale WorkLife , The United Illuminating Company, The Shops at Yale, Cymplify/Campus Customs, Elm City Market, TYCO, Pinpoint Promotions, Trailblazer and Fitbit.

Ready to get your FITWEEK on?  For more information about FITWEEK, fitness tips, and to find a listing of all participating FITWEEK facilities and businesses, please visit fitweek.com or facebook.com/fitweek.

ABOUT FITWEEK®

The FITWEEK® Event is a weeklong event that rallies the community around increasing physical activity by providing a turnkey program that offers the community FREE access to local fitness businesses and resources, provides online tools, and coordinates a collaborative branded marketing campaign to participating entities. FITWEEK helps fitness businesses meet new potential clients, and assists non-fitness businesses or organizations in providing a service that cultivates a healthy workforce and community.

 ABOUT CLOSER TO FREE FUND

Closer to Free is the fund for the Yale Cancer Center and Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and provides essential financial support for breakthrough cancer research and compassionate patient care. Support is critical to ensure that new research is pursued each day, promising treatments are developed in real time, and patient care is continuously enhanced.