You Can Now Submit Nominations for the Be Well Philly Health Hero Challenge

The search for our 2018 Health Hero is on!


Darren Sudman, the winner of the 2017 Health Hero Challenge, for his work with Simon’s Heart and Got AED.

For our seventh year running, we’re on the hunt for Philadelphia’s Health Heroes— the people who are going above and beyond to make our city healthier. And we need YOUR help to find them!

Starting today, we’re accepting nominations for the doctors, community organizers, teachers, non-profit founders, coaches, and leaders — and anyone else! — who are improving the health and wellness of the community around them.

We’re accepting nominations through July 3. After that, we’ll sort through the nominees to select our top-ten semi-finalists, then open it up to you all to vote on our 2018 Health Hero. Thanks to our sponsor Independence Blue Cross, the winner of the voting process will receive a $10,000 donation to the charity of their choice, while two runner-ups will earn $2,500 for their chosen charities.

We love hosting the Health Hero Challenge every year, because not only does it mean money is going to good causes, it also puts us face-to-face with all of the amazing individuals who are out there, doing work to improve our city. Last year, our Health Hero winner was Darren Sudman, the co-founder of Simon’s Heart and Got AED, who has made it his mission to help prevent sudden cardiac arrest in young athletes and children following the death of his son. The $10,000 Health Hero prize was able to support Got AED in supplying places where children play with automated external defibrillators.

We’ve had the chance to celebrate the work of some pretty spectacular Health Heroes over the years — from Sudman to Unite for Her founder Sue Weldon to Black Girls RUN! Philadelphia co-founder Leslie Marant — and we can’t wait to see who you all nominate this year.

Who’s the Health Hero in your life? You can nominate them — and as many others as you’d like — right here.

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