For Immediate Release

Contact:

Bobby Maldonado

734-712-4536

Bobby.Maldonado@stjoeshealth.org

April 17, 2019

CANTON, Mich. (April 17, 2019) – Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is pleased to partner with IHA, Canton Leisure

Services, the American Cancer Society, Probility Therapy Services and the AFC Ann Arbor soccer team to host the eighth annual

Healthy Summer Kick-Off on Saturday, May 18, 2019 from 1 to 4 p.m. at St. Joseph Mercy Canton, located at 1600 S. Canton Center Road.

"The Healthy Summer Kick-Off is an annual event that encourages friends and neighbors to get outside and to enjoy physical activity during the summer months," said Greg Sears, executive director of ambulatory services at SJMHS. "We're going to have lots of fun and we're going to get moving together."

Attendees will enjoy interactive, family-friendly activities, including:

• Rock climbing
• Bike helmet fittings
• Arctic Edge street hockey
• Meet players from AFC Ann Arbor's semiprofessional soccer team
• Teddy bear clinic
• IHA pediatricians and family medicine physicians will sponsor a Kona Ice Truck while St. Joseph Mercy Canton will offer free bike helmets and fittings, beginning at 1 p.m. for the first 200 kids.

The Health Exploration Station, which is celebrating 20 years since its founding, is located inside St. Joseph Mercy Canton and will be open for tours and play; and the Urgent Care will host a teddy bear clinic. Arctic Edge will be on hand with street hockey activities and information on hockey safety. Attendees of the event can register to win Detroit Tiger tickets, AFC soccer tickets, and autographed professional sports memorabilia.

The Relay For Life of Canton, coordinated by the American Cancer Society, will also take place with the opening ceremony as well as a survivor and caregiver celebration starting at noon in nearby Heritage Park, located at 46202 Heritage Park Road in Canton. To learn more about Relay For Life or register, please visit www.relayforlife.org/CantonMI, or contact Megan Schaper at 248-663-3417 or e-mail her at megan.schaper@cancer.org.

For more information about the Healthy Summer Kick-Off event, please call 734-712-5164 or visitstjoeshealth.org/healthy-kick-off .

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About Saint Joseph Mercy Health System

Saint Joseph Mercy Health System (SJMHS) is a health care organization serving seven counties in southeast Michigan including Livingston, Washtenaw, Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Jackson, and Lenawee. It includes 537-bed St. Joseph Mercy Ann Arbor, 443bed St. Joseph Mercy Oakland in Pontiac, 304-bed St. Mary Mercy Livonia, 136-bed St. Joseph Mercy Livingston in Howell, and 133-bed St. Joseph Mercy Chelsea. Combined, the five hospitals are licensed for 1,553 beds, have five outpatient health centers, six urgent care facilities, more than 25 specialty centers; employ more than 16,200 individuals and have a medical staff of nearly 2,700 physicians. SJMHS has annual operating revenues of about $1.9 billion and returns about $120 million to its communities annually through charity care and community benefit programs.

SJMHS is a member of Trinity Health, a leading Catholic health care system based in Livonia, Mich. Trinity Health operates in 22 states, employs about 97,000 people, has annual operating revenues of about $15.8 billion and assets of about $23.4 billion. Additionally, the organization returns almost $1 billion to its communities annually in the form of charity care and other community benefit programs.

For more information on health services offered at Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, please visit www.stjoeshealth.org.