Tempe, Ariz.  – August 4, 2010 – The YMCA of the USA is one of the nation’s leading non-profit service organizations dedicated to healthy living. The Valley of the Sun YMCA is one of only seven Ys nationally to offer the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program (Y-DPP), in conjunction with UnitedHealth Group. The Y-DPP is an innovative, evidenced-based, lifestyle intervention that will have a significant impact in preventing Type 2 Diabetes in the Greater Phoenix area. Assisting the Valley of the Sun YMCA is Phoenix-based, full-service advertising, public relations and interactive agency Zion & Zion.

Zion & Zion is no stranger to the non-profit space, having worked with other national and regional non-profits such as Project 7th Grade, Arizona Science Center, Hope & A Future and Arizona Academic Decathlon to drive awareness and participation and recognizing the previous solid work the agency has done to generate extensive campaign results in the non-profit sector, the Valley of the Sun YMCA did not hesitate to engage the agency.

Senior Vice President of Operations Donnette Hermes commented, “Zion & Zion is well known as being one of the most dedicated and ROI focused agencies in the Southwest. The firm’s history of working with other non-profits was impressive, but what really grabbed us was how they truly embraced our cause. This is an exciting time for the Y, with new branding and bold new messages. We needed a flexible partner with true integrated capabilities, as this campaign will extend across outdoor, TV, radio, interactive, PR and social media.”

The YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program uses a group-based, lifestyle intervention designed especially for people at high-risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This intervention has been proven to cut people’s chances of developing the disease by more than half. Start-up funding for the program was provided by UnitedHealth Group. Individuals covered by UnitedHealth Group may be able to access the program through their insurance.

“I think what you will find in the coming weeks is truly a great, coordinated effort between the Y and Zion & Zion where we are going to take a national program and deliver it to a regional market, and it will in turn have a tremendous impact in terms of diabetes prevention,” continued Hermes.

“When the Valley of the Sun YMCA first told us about this program, we were obviously excited. Pre-diabetes is a pervasive problem in the United States with about 57 million having the condition. That number blew our mind, and we knew that an initiative as serious as this one needs serious awareness,” Aric Zion, Zion & Zion CEO stated. “We are honored to work with such a household name as the Y. Our client list is diverse, and we always work to balance our roster by ensuring that it contains exceptional non-profits; and the Valley of the Sun Y certainly fits that mission.”

For more information on Zion & Zion, please visit the company’s website at zionandzion.com. For more information on the Valley of the Sun Y, please visit the organization’s website, at www.valleyymca.org.

About Valley of the Sun YMCA
Established in 1892 and in its second century of service, the Valley of the Sun YMCA is the largest not-for-profit human services agency in the state of Arizona.  The Valley of the Sun YMCA has 17 facility branches, four extension sites, two resident camps and a 138 resident hotel at the downtown location.  The Valley of the Sun YMCA has 322,030 members of which 56% were youth under the age of 18.  Our YMCA facilities open their doors to a combined total of over 800 hours and serve more than 40,000 members and guests each month.

 

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