Here Are the Three Finalists for This Year’s Health Hero Challenge

The wait is over! We are thrilled to announce the three finalists for the 2024 Be Well Philly Health Hero Challenge presented by Independence Blue Cross.

We went from receiving hundreds of nominations to 10 amazing semifinalists — all of whom are helping others throughout the region live healthier lives — and finally to three finalists. Now, it’s time to choose the winner!

You can vote once per day now until 11:59 p.m., September 30th. To help you decide who you’d like to see crowned the 2024 Be Well Philly Health Hero, read more about them and listen to their stories below.

Amy Carolla

Who: Amy Carolla, founder of Balance, a fitness center in Chestnut Hill, and the co-founder of B Inspired.

Nonprofit of choice: Partnering with area nonprofits, B Inspired empowers underserved middle-school students “to become champions of their own well-being” through the nonprofit’s wellness program and “out-of-school time (OST) programs” like summer camps and after-school activities. “Our program is designed to spark interest in the arts, foster a love of reading and creative writing, and enhance fitness, athletic abilities, and overall well-being,” Carolla says. Partners include the Philadelphia Ballet, the Eagles, art museums, Outward Bound, and more Philly organizations to enrich kids’ time out of school. They also make and distribute B Inspired Bags, providing healthy snacks and school supplies to kids in need before Thanksgiving and summer break.

Daniel Taylor

Who: Daniel Taylor, a pediatrician at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. In his two-plus decades at the hospital, he has worked on community outreach projects, including co-directing their Reach Out and Read program, his nonprofit of choice. Taylor also developed the Cap4Kids website to help link families in need with social services.

Nonprofit of choice: Reach Out and Read, a national organization that promotes early literacy and school readiness by integrating children’s books into pediatric care. At every well visit, kids receive brand-new developmentally appropriate — and culturally and situationally relevant — books.

Mary Ciammetti

Who: Mary Ciammetti, founder and president of Don’t Stall, Just Call. She was inspired to start the nonprofit after her son Christian died at age 20 from complications of alcohol poisoning due to binge drinking. “I knew I had to do something to try to save other families from a similar fate,” Ciammetti says, explaining that alcohol poisoning can turn fatal because those who could call for help “don’t know what to look for.”

Nonprofit of choice: Don’t Stall, Just Call, an alcohol poisoning education program for university and high school students. It provides students with alcohol education, anxiety reduction strategies and wellness opportunities as healthy alternatives to drinking. The organization has also established an annual scholarship for students at Temple University, where Ciammetti’s son was a student.

Vote for the 2024 Health Hero Challenge winner now!