#FitForTheFrontLine challenge supports front-line health-care workers
Fitness challenge unites nation's top medical centers to support, honor health-care heroes
Getty ImagesMedical centers across the United States are participating in a fitness program called #FitForTheFrontLine, which is aimed at honoring and supporting front-line health-care workers who have worked tirelessly to save lives during the coronavirus pandemic.
As much of the country continues to self-isolate due to the coronavirus pandemic, medical centers across the United States are joining forces to start a countrywide movement of physical activity to honor and support front-line health-care workers who have worked tirelessly to save lives. #FitForTheFrontLine is a national fitness challenge that began this week and will culminate Sunday, June 14 (Flag Day). The event encourages Americans young and old to move, exercise and get fit to increase awareness and raise funds to support our nation’s health-care heroes.
Mount Sinai Health System in New York initiated the challenge and invited other medical centers nationwide to join in.
The call to action is simple: Choose any activity; dedicate your activity to the #FitForTheFrontLine organization; post the Washington University donation link; and ask your network to pledge support. Gifts of any size make a difference and will support front-line staff.
#FitForTheFrontLine partner medical centers include Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, BJC HealthCare, Mount Sinai Health System, Baylor College of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cedars-Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, MedStar Health, Michigan Medicine, Montefiore Einstein, NewYork-Presbyterian, Northwell Health Foundation, Northwestern Medicine, NYU Langone Health, Penn Medicine, RWJBarnabas Health, Temple Health, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, University of Chicago Medicine, University of Washington Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine and Yale New Haven Health.
Goldman Sachs & Co., Peloton, Discovery, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, dtx and Pinterest recognized the brave work of all front-line workers and have signed on to be the founding corporate sponsors for the #FitForTheFrontLine challenge. As part of their involvement, the sponsors will mobilize employees to join the movement, incentivize companywide goals and/or matching donations, leverage senior leaders to serve as influencers, and promote the campaign through social media posts on their corporate channels.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 will not be vanquished overnight. The fight will continue. Our front-line workers will care for and follow patients with long-term effects of COVID-19, and these brave heroes may yet mobilize again to face future outbreaks. They need our support now. No matter what the need is, our communities count on our front lines to be there for them, and we will continue to count on our communities to support our front lines.
Donations made to Washington University as part of the fitness challenge will go to a fund to support the Medical Campus’ front-line health-care workers. David H. Perlmutter, MD, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, will direct use of the funds. To make a donation, click here.
For more information, contact Lynda Heaney, vice chancellor for medical advancement at Washington University School of Medicine, at lynda@wustl.edu.
