Seventh Annual Community Day and 5K Race slated for September 18 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Seventh Annual Community Day and 5K Race slated for September 18 at Jersey Shore University Medical Center

Cash prizes for top race finishers & fun and healthy activities for all

Neptune, NJ - Jersey Shore University Medical Center will host its annual Community Day and 5K run/walk on Sunday, September 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the hospital’s campus, located at 1945 Route 33 in Neptune.

The timed 5K race through Neptune kicks-off at 10:00 a.m. $12,000 in prize money will be awarded to the top three finishers, as well as top finishers in age groups. Pre-registration is $10 and can be accessed at http://www.meridianhealth.com/5krace. Check-in for the 5K run/walk begins at 8:30 a.m. at Jersey Shore’s main entrance.

Jersey Shore’s 5K is the third of three races that comprise Meridian Health’s Heart & Sole Cup – a race series dedicated to promoting heart healthy living. The first two races of the Heart & Sole Cup included Bayshore Community Hospital’s 5K and Ocean Medical Center’s 5K, both in June. Cash prizes are awarded at all three races.

After the race, Jersey Shore will host its annual Community Day and Children’s Health Fair, a free day of family fun, with a healthy twist. Guests can enjoy the interactive children’s health fair, kiddie dashes, food, an inflatable play area, face painting, trackless train rides, music and entertainment. Valuable health information and free screenings including blood pressure, BMI, cholesterol, stroke and bone density will also be available.

The day will also include a special appearance by Doctor Bernard and the “Pawsitive Action Team,” K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital’s special team of friends who teach children how to stay healthy, eat right, stay fit, and be safe.

About Hackensack Meridian Health

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 13 hospitals, including two academic medical centers, two children’s hospitals and nine community hospitals, physician practices, more than 120 ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 28,000 team members, more than 6,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network’s notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, the number one hospital in New Jersey as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For,” one of the “20 Best Workplaces in Health Care” in the nation, and the number one “Best Place to Work for Women.” Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

The hospitals of Hackensack Meridian Health include: academic medical centers - HackensackUMC in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune; children’s hospitals - Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital in Neptune; community hospitals - Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, HackensackUMC Mountainside in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Community Hospital in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and HackensackUMC at Pascack Valley in Westwood.

To learn more, visit www.hackensackmeridianhealth.org