Enmarket is pleased to announce the convenience store chain donated $10,000 to four area nonprofit organizations in its 2015 Encourage Health Educational Series. The company, which was founded in 1963 as Interstate Stations, then rebranded as “Enmark” in 1983 and most recently as “enmarket” in 2015 to reflect their fresh and healthy food options, presented the series of four lectures along with Healthy Savannah, Chatham Area Transit, Sandfly Family Dental, Stevens Hale and Associates, Pediatric Associates of Savannah and Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.

“We are pleased to be part of helping Savannah become a healthier community and that begins with education. The Encourage Health series is specifically geared to educate the public about how to live healthier lives. Thanks to our co-sponsors, all of the sessions and healthy lunches were free this year. This really boosted attendance which helps with our end goal- to increase community awareness of living a healthier life,” said Matt Clements, director of marketing at enmarket. ”The 2015 series featured presentations from some of our area’s most respected experts sharing insights on nutrition, fitness and general tips for healthy living. This is a win-win for those nonprofits receiving the grant money and for the community."

In February, Childhood Obesity Prevention and Education was selected as the first nonprofit organization to be awarded the first of the 2015 series’ $2,000 grants. The mission of COPE is to combat childhood obesity with a threefold approach – nutrition education, fitness and behavioral health. The event also featured a presentation by Nathan Mikesha, BS nutrition, CPT, CWC; and Courtney Peterson, a certified health education specialist and wellness coach at Ourlife Health. They spoke on “Five Strategies for the Prevention and Treatment of Childhood Obesity.”

At the second event in April, the $2,000 Encourage Health grant went to GA Bikes! The Savannah-based nonprofit organization works to promote bicycling for fitness, fun, and transportation and strives to help improve bicycling conditions throughout the state. The lecture featured Drew McKenzie speaking on the topic, “Crossfit, Why and How It Works in Weight Loss.” McKenzie holds a master’s degree in exercise science and is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is also an adjunct professor for Health Sciences at Armstrong University and the owner/operator of Crossfit Hyperformance.

In August, a $2,000 grant donation was presented to the Effingham County Navigator Team, a not-for-profit support group and recreational program for children with special needs and different abilities. The theme of this event was, “How to Train for a 5K,” presented by Chris Ramsey of Fleet Feet Savannah, in memory of Robert Espinoza.

The final lecture in the series benefitted the Forsyth Farmer’s Market with a $2,000 grant and featured a presentation on the topic of “10 Yoga Tips to Turn Your Day from Hectic to Heavenly,” by Kelley J. Boyd, E-RYT500, a yoga teacher and owner of the Savannah Yoga Center. The Forsyth Farmer’s Market strives to envision a sustainable, local food system that promotes the health of individuals, farmers and the community.

Ultimately, each chosen nonprofit organization was eligible to win a grand prize. Each was given a scannable bar code that could be used by patrons throughout the year with the enmarket mobile app to rack up points at any of the company’s 64 stores. During the final lecture in October, enmarket announced that Childhood Obesity Prevention and Education had received the most scans and presented a check for $2,000 to Sandy Baker, the organization’s founding executive director.