Dec. 1 Deadline For "Don't Sit, Stay Fit" Contest

Got a winning strategy that keeps you fit? Suffolk Executive Steve Levy and former New York Jet Bobby Jackson welcome you to submit your input as part of a collaborative "Don't Sit, Stay Fit" contest aimed at fostering cancer prevention activity.

 In an effort to promote healthy living and help reduce the number of cancer cases in Suffolk, Levy and the his Cancer Awareness Task Force are asking the public to submit ideas on how to incorporate exercise daily during the work week.

The "Don't Sit, Stay Fit" contest is focused on motiving residents to exercise more by making small, yet significant, modifications to their daily routines.

 "Exercise is essential to good health and one important tenet of our overall cancer prevention strategy," said Levy. "We recognize, however, that incorporating exercise into our daily lives is not easy, so we are asking residents to share their strategies and tips so that we can then share these with others."

Modell's Sporting Goods is donating the top prize for the best idea: an exercise bike. Eastern Athletic Club in Melville will donate a free 10-day membership to everyone who enters the contest, and Bally's Total Fitness in Copiague is offering a free seven-day guest pass for the first 400 participants who enter in the contest.

Additional prizes include a free, six-month membership for two at Eastern Athletic Club in Melville; two, one-month unlimited yoga packages at the Mindful Turtle Yoga and Wellness center in Stony Brook; two 3-month and six 1-month memberships at the Smithtown Gold's Gym, and a free 1-month membership at the LA Fitness Center in Lake Grove.

To participate in the contest, individuals must be at least 18 years old and Suffolk County residents. To enter, visit this site and the complete a "Don't Sit, Stay Fit Contest" form, and fax it (631) 853-5906, or mail it to Office of Cancer Awareness, Suffolk County Department of Environment and Energy, 2nd Floor Dennison Building, PO Box 6100, Hauppauge, New York 11788.

Contest deadline is December 1, 2010. Winners will be announced in January.

For more information, call (631) 853-5919.