Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, and strokes rank third on the list. Studies prove that regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease and strokes. That’s why the American Heart Association promotes an active lifestyle via the Start! Heart Walk program.
Since 2007, J.D. Byrider has been involved as a Cause Sponsor of the Indianapolis Start! Heart Walk for the American Heart Association, with the goal of becoming a national sponsor of the American Heart Association.
In 2009, The American Heart Association Start! Program has created a new online community of “Sole-Mates” looking to walk their way towards better health. It’s called “MyStart! Community,” and it’s an online hub for people to find “virtual” or real walking buddies, teams, clubs, etc. They can share success stories, encouragement, tips, even photos.
To promote the launch of this new social media site, the American Heart Association conducted a media event in New York City’s Grand Central Station on Tuesday, January 6. The event featured two treadmills, placed side by side and “walking buddies” who exercised on the treadmills in 30 minute intervals, the amount of time the American Heart Association recommends for daily physical activity.
Jim DeVoe, Jr., J.D. Byrider CEO, and Jim England, president of The J.D. Byrider Advertising Group, walked on the treadmills as sole-mates representing the Indianapolis community and J.D. Byrider dealers across the country. Both men also became members of the MyStart! Community, and encourage all of their associates, franchise partners, families and friends to do so as well.
“This is a great day for J.D. Byrider and the American Heart Association,“ said Jim DeVoe, Jr. “I’m ecstatic that my first trip to New York could be for such an exciting and worthwhile cause. On behalf of our management team and our board of directors I just want to encourage everyone to think hard about being more heart-healthy. We’re a great family and we owe it to one another to take care of ourselves.” DeVoe also added, “I also want to thank my dad for getting us started (no pun intended) with the heart association. He was always a generous, caring man, and I plan to continue that tradition.”
“I’ve had the privilege of working with some great people during my career,” said England, who also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the American Heart Association/Indianapolis as well as a member of the Executive Leadership Team for the Indianapolis Start! Heart Walk. “I joined Byrider 10 years ago because of the people I met there. Every day I get to work with some of the smartest, most caring people I’ve ever known. It’s been an honor for me to have taken over Jim DeVoe, Sr.’s vision of working with the American Heart Association. I care a great deal about our brand, our associates, our franchisees and our customers. The Start! program is one of the most perfect ways for me to help each of those groups. We need healthy customers, associates and families!”
J.D. Byrider has a history of giving back to the community. In fact, the J.D. Byrider business model is based on providing services to an underserved market. That helping attitude has expanded outside the confines of the business environment. From Make-A-Wish to the Salvation Army to the Sunshine Kids to Habitat for Humanity to the American Cancer Society to the Leukemia Society to the Tony Stewart Foundation and many more, J.D. Byrider, its franchisees and associates have been involved with helping in communities all across the country.
J.D. Byrider participated in the Heart Walk in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. In 2007, when the Start! movement was launched, Byrider got on board as a Cause Sponsor, and is signed up in the same capacity for 2009. We look forward to continuing our relationship with this incredible organization for many years to come.
Nellie Gonzalez has been featured in J.D.Byrider advertising for 10 years. She’s always been the consummate professional, delivering motivational messages in English and in Spanish. She’s had roles in movies and on TV. Recently, she was honored in her home town of Houston, Texas, where she won an Emmy for her performance on KHOUTV’s “Houstonisimo!” (
