On Saturday, September 21st, a contingent of Bunnies was quite active: meeting uptown and walking the 2.9 mile 2013 Charlotte Heart Walk to raise the public’s awareness of cardiovascular disease  (CVD) and stroke.

If you’ve been around the Jackrabbit team much at all, you know that active is a good descriptor.

Active in community service:

• American Heart Association Heart Walk
• Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure
• Second Harvest Food Bank
• Operation Christmas Child
• The One Fund (Boston Marathon Tragedy)

Additionally, Jackrabbit provides ongoing behind-the-scenes support for Grain of Wheat International (an organization providing basic needs to the world’s poorest children) and hands-on participation in the organization’s projects such as Project Clean and Soccer Camps.

The company promotes health and well-being among its employees through its benefits program and also provides extra departmental activities that help with stress reduction and combat the traits that accompany desk-centric jobs. For instance, this year, development enjoyed a whitewater rafting day, support enjoyed a spa weekend and marketing is planning a zip line adventure to the mountains.

An impressive percentage of Bunnies regularly participate in marathons and fitness programs of all types – doing Ironmans, Mud Runs, competing in online challenges and competing against each other in both fitness and weight loss challenges.

The most organized of the internal challenges took place this past summer in the Jackrabbit Employee Fitness and Weight Loss Challenge – which actually included cash prizes! The challenge – from April 20 thru June 14 – had progressing requirements for each member. The members of the fitness group who achieved 45 minute workouts five days per week were winners. 38% of fitness participants achieved this goal. That is 1125+ hours of workout in a week – just among the 38% who achieved the ultimate goal. The members of the weight loss challenge had percentage goals for their progression requirements. 35% of the participants in the weight loss challenge reached their percentage requirements. The total weight loss for the weight loss group was 145.8 lbs. – 12.2 lbs. per person average. A fitness challenge continues on a more casual and limited basis.

“The challenges have made each of us more aware of our overall health and fitness. We talk about our obstacles with workouts and eating habits and it helps to hear what others are doing to continue to make progress. We plan this into company events by offering healthy food choices where ever we are,” comments Julie Rankin, Jackrabbit’s Marketing Director.