No, that rumbling you heard downtown Thursday night wasn't an earthquake. It was the sound of about 20,000 corporate employees pounding the pavement for the 2006 Kaiser Permanente Corporate Run/Walk & Fitness Program.
Olympic athlete (1972) and running expert Jeff Galloway started the 5K (3.1-mile) race in 1983 with a handful of companies and about 900 participants. The idea was to promote fun, fitness and a little healthy competition among Atlanta's businesses -- and it worked. Employees of small and large corporations enroll in the training program to prepare for the Southeast's largest workplace-organized fitness event, followed by a picnic that has been dubbed the "World's Largest Office Party."
The excitement had been building for 13 weeks at RLI Transportation, a division of RLI Insurance Co., which won the Kaiser Permanente Corporate Cup for companies with fewer than 100 employees last year.
"We have really high participation [36 out of 42 employees last year], because it's our major wellness initiative, and we make it fun," said Dan Meyer, vice president of claims.
Employees divide themselves into teams of four and commit to an exercise regimen based on whether they are beginning or advanced walkers or runners. Those who complete four workouts a week earn points for their team and are eligible for prize drawings. Individuals with a total of 90 percent participation in the workouts get to leave work two hours early the Friday after the race. Teams with 90 percent participation get to wear jeans that day.
"We keep a poster board of how each team is doing outside the break room, so there's a lot of friendly competition," Meyer said. "It brings people together, and you don't have to be an athlete. You can be a beginning walker and still be a winner."
The treadmills in RLI Transportation's office building get full use leading up to the race. "We find that it energizes employees, both physically and emotionally," he said.
Assurant, a provider of specialized insurance products, has doubled its employee participation to 200 over the years.
"We look upon the event as an opportunity for our employees to be involved in a community event, and it's a great team-building exercise," said Jim Sykes, director of external communications.
Assurant bused its employees to the event and, like most companies, provided a company tent, T-shirts, team photos and food before and after the race. The company paid the registration fees as part of its health and wellness program.
"Last year we rolled out the Aha! [A Healthier Assurant] Program with a Stay Well Web site, where employees could sign up for screenings, time with a personal coach and advice on modifying their lifestyles to be healthier," Sykes said. "We had 65 percent participation and will continue the benefit to our employees."
Kim Ballard, a systems analyst at Rinnai Corp., a Japanese manufacturer of water heaters and other products, started lunchtime walks and provided water, granola bars and e-mail tips for her fellow teammates leading up to the race.
"We encourage our employees to participate in healthy activities, and [we] sponsor rafting trips, sailing adventures, hikes and health fairs year-round," said Sam Lamia, vice president of finance and operations.
Promoting health is a key piece in the company's employment plan.
"We're a young, growing company, and events like this help keep our employees engaged in the organization," said Carmella Ross, human resources manager. "It puts a spring in their step, and they're more focused and creative."
Promoting something that is fun and good for you fits with PricewaterhouseCoopers' philosophy of doing right by its employees, said Jerry Dubner, director and team captain. The global company was on Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2005 and 2006.
"This event gives our members an opportunity for better fitness and to get to know each other and their clients in a different context," Dubner said. "A lot of our members will seek out friends in other companies at the race."
The firm has participated in the event for 22 years.
Being the title sponsor for the race boosts company pride and shows the community that Kaiser Permanente "walks the talk" when it comes to wellness, said Leigh Weathers, human resources director. Employee participation at Kaiser Permanente, which is in its third year of sponsoring the race, has gone from 25 percent to 35 percent.
"Health is a big part of life. The fact that you enjoy the life you have is important, and a lot of our employees take that seriously," Weathers said. So does the company, which offers employees membership discounts to local gyms as well as classes in nutrition, cooking, smoking cessation, yoga and other exercise.
ING, another corporate sponsor and winner of the Corporate Cup for companies with 1,000 to 4,999 employees last year, fits the race into a busy calendar of wellness activities, including Lunch & Learn health education classes, Weight Watchers meetings, stress-management workshops and racquetball tournaments.
The company has participated in the corporate race/walk since 1997 and operates a 13,000-square-
foot on-site fitness center with cardiovascular equipment, weights, an aerobics room, and racquetball and basketball courts. Employees pay $18 a month to use the facility.
"People tell me they feel more relaxed and productive when they use the gym at lunch. It relieves stress," said Travis Brown, fitness center and wellness coordinator. "But the company is also trying to reduce its health care costs. I see more companies taking an active approach to wellness."