For immediate release: July 18, 2011
Contact: Sean McManus  (802) 764-4831

Plymouth, VT – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is once again inviting the public to a Hike, Bike & Paddle event on Saturday, July 23 at Camp Plymouth State Park in Ludlow. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont’s second Hike, Bike & Paddle event at Camp Plymouth State Park takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This free community event offers an opportunity for individuals to get outside and enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing and kayaking.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont will provide free healthy snacks, including smoothies from their blender bike. The first 100 participants will also receive a free Hike, Bike & Paddle T-shirt.  Free bike and canoe rentals will be available. Rentals, however, are limited.

Camp Plymouth State Park, located on Ludlow’s Echo Lake, offers a wide-range of outdoor activities, including the short and steep Vista Trail, which brings hikers to a viewpoint above the lake. Biking and paddling also remain popular activities; Vermont’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation lists Camp Plymouth State Park as one of its top five state parks for paddling.

Parking: Parking and admittance at the Camp Plymouth State Park is free if you notify the attendant that you are attending the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont Hike, Bike & Paddle event.

Hike, Bike & Paddle is one of many initiatives by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont to encourage physical activity in the great Vermont outdoors. This is the first of three Hike, Bike and Paddle events in 2011. The second Hike, Bike & Paddle will be held in Burlington on Saturday, Aug. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Burlington’s North Beach. The third Hike, Bike & Paddle takes place in Craftsbury on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Visit the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont website, www.bcbsvt.com, for more information about the Hike, Bike & Paddle events.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is the state’s oldest and largest health insurer, providing coverage for about 150,000 Vermonters. It employs more than 340 Vermonters at its headquarters in Berlin and branch office in South Burlington, and offers group and individual health plans. More information about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is available on the Internet at www.bcbsvt.com. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is an independent corporation operating under a license with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.