You Can Now Submit Nominations for the 2019 Be Well Philly Health Hero Challenge

2019 is bringing a bigger and better Be Well Philly Health Hero Challenge. / Graphic by Meredith Getzfread

Reading about health can be depressing at times. We live in a world with a shoddy healthcare system, with few good ways to relieve chronic pain, with stories every day of people who get diagnosed with stage IV cancer and leave us way too soon. While we here at Be Well Philly think it’s important to talk about these real things — life is not a technicolor Instagram filter, after all — we also find it paramount to highlight the folks making it easier for us to live happier, healthier lives. Their heroics give us hope.

So we’re ecstatic to announce that nominations are once again open for the Be Well Philly Health Hero Challenge. We’re looking for medical providers, nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, coaches, anyone really who’s making a difference in our community from a health and wellness perspective. You can nominate your neighbor who runs a lupus support group, the doctor who changed your life through pro bono surgery, or even yourself (as long as they/you live in Pennsylvania, Delaware, or New Jersey). After all, if you’re a Be Well Philly reader, you’re probably plugged into — or at least are trying to figure out — how we can all live well.

Previous winners have included leaders such as:

• Sue Weldon, the founder and president of Unite for HER, a nonprofit helping to bridge the gap between medicine and wellness for breast cancer patients
• Darren Sudman, who raises awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and death through his nonprofit, Simon’s Heart
• Todd Irwin (last year’s winner), president of the board of directors for Angel Flight East, which provides free transportation for those who need long-distance medical treatment.

The nominations will run through July 3rd, at which point we’ll narrow down the field to 10 semi-finalists. Then we’ll toss the power back to you and let you vote for who you’d like to win. In 2019, thanks to our generous sponsor, Independence Blue Cross, we’ll give $15,000, instead of the $10,000 offered in previous years, to the charity of the Health Hero’s choice. Two runners-up will each receive a $2,500 donation to their chosen charity as well.

If you’r ready, nominate your Health hero here.

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