SFO Receives Airport Green Award

San Francisco International Airport was given an "Airports Going Green" sustainability award for its employee wellness program at an industry conference in Chicago today.

SFO Wellness Coordinator Denise Pieri accepted the award on behalf of the airport at a luncheon at the fifth annual "Airports Going Green" conference sponsored by the Chicago Department of Aviation and the American Association of Airport Executives.

The yearly conference covers a variety of sustainability initiatives for airports, ranging from environmentally sound practices to "green" airport concessions, the use of aviation biofuels and employee welfare. San Francisco's award for its employee health efforts was one of six awards given to national and international airports and organizations at today's luncheon.

SFO Airport Director John Martin said in a statement, "We are honored to be recognized by Airports Going Green for our employee wellness program. Our efforts demonstrate our commitment to be an environmentally sustainable airport, as well as our goal to make SFO a great place for employees to work," Martin said.

Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said the program takes a comprehensive approach to wellness and aims to help employees in areas including fitness, weight loss, exercise and illness prevention. One part of the program is the airport's annual "Shape Up San Francisco" Walking Challenge.

Yakel said that this spring, more than 600 airport employee volunteers walked a total of 1,016 miles, or the equivalent of the California coastline, over a 10-week period during the challenge.

--Bay City News

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