Game Changers Guest Post: Freewheelin
NOTE: We asked each of our 2009 Game Changers Awards finalists to write about their projects, what they’ve learned along the way and what’s next. This essay submitted by Jim Turner, Media Relations, Humana Inc.
As one of the nation’s largest health care companies, Humana, Inc. is dedicated to improving the health of Americans. As such, the company recognizes that lack of physical activity is one of the primary drivers of poor health and preventable health care costs in the United States.
In 2007, Humana launched an innovative employee initiative called Freewheelin, a bike-sharing program that offered bikes for employees to use for free for short daily trips, to run errands, get to and from public transportation, or simply take a leisurely spin during the day. The program has been hugely successful in encouraging activity among employees: More than 2,500 Humana associates have signed up for the program, 21 percent of whom had not previously been involved in exercise activity.
Based upon its internal success, Humana saw an opportunity to address the causes of preventable health care issues in America by introducing Freewheelin to the nation. The company chose the 2008 political conventions as the premier opportunities, and made 1,000 bikes available in the convention host cities of Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul for free use by anyone during each four-day event.
In the months leading up to the conventions, news of Freewheelin began to buzz, and by the first day of the Democratic National Convention, the program was generating nationwide media coverage. Stories appeared across print, broadcast and online media including articles in USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and segments on World News Tonight, CBS Evening News and CNN.
Participation in the event was greater than anyone could even have imagined! Over the eight days of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, bicycle riders from all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and 37 countries (including the U.S.), took a spin. Combined, riders logged 41,724 miles, burned 1.3 million calories and reduced their carbon footprint by 14.6 metric tons!
The success of Freewheelin makes it clear that people enthusiastically endorse and enjoy bicycle-sharing, whether it is for health benefits, a sustainable way to commute, or for leisure. Additionally, Freewheelin proved that the environmental impact of bicycle-sharing is significant and similar programs would be truly beneficial to the planet.
We are continuing to work with public officials and private enterprises to show them how they can integrate bike-sharing into their municipalities, campuses or townships. It’s not an easy task, as it takes a strong commitment from top to bottom to change the way we go about our day-to-day activities , but we’re confident that – with the success of Freewheelin at the conventions – we can get there. One day, we would like to see bike-sharing not be the exception, but the norm. Inspired by our employees, clients, members and future partners, we want to provide them all with the tools and resources to live healthy lifestyles. Bike sharing is a great – and fun – way to help them get there.
Beth Laing is the project manager for iFOCOS, which organizes the We Media conferences, awards and community. Prior to working with We Media she worked in a variety of new media roles with Knight Ridder, Infonautics and Access Atlanta. She is currently on the board of the Atlanta Women’s Alliance (AWA), Community Advisory Board for Junior League Dekalb and a Leadership Dekalb 2010 class member.
