Panera Bread and White Plains Hospital Celebrate National Start! Walking Day to Panera White Plains!

May 9, 2011 - PRLog -- WHITE PLAINS, NY:  About fifty White Plains Hospital employees enjoyed a healthy 1.4 mile walk to Panera Bread and back as they took part in this year’s annual American Heart Association’s National Start! Walking Day. All participating walkers received a 10% discount on their lunch at the White Plains cafe and were treated to a free whole grain baguette to take home, which is in line with Panera Bread’s company mission - “a loaf of bread in every arm.”

The American Heart Association encourages employees to wear sneakers to work on National Start! Walking Day and to take at least thirty minutes out of their day to walk for exercise. This year’s National Start! Walking Day was held on Wednesday, April 6, 2011.

“Panera Bread always enjoys supporting great community causes, especially ones that encourage good health and wellness,” states Tony Diaz, Operations Partner for Take Home the Bread, LLC. “We really enjoyed seeing the nursing staff and hospital administrators walking down the streets of downtown White Plains with their healthy baguettes as they returned to work at the hospital,” adds Marisa Morvillo, Regional Catering Sales Manager for Panera Bread.

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About Panera Bread:Panera Bread Company owns and franchises 1,453 bakery-cafes as of December 28, 2010 under the Panera Bread®, Saint Louis Bread Co.®, and Paradise Bakery & Café® names. We feature high quality, reasonably priced food in a warm, inviting, and comfortable environment. With our identity rooted in handcrafted, fresh-baked, artisan bread, we are committed to providing great tasting, quality food that people can trust. Nearly all of our bakery-cafes have a menu highlighted by antibiotic-free chicken, whole grain bread, and select organic and all natural ingredients, with zero grams of artificial trans fat per serving, which provide flavorful, wholesome offerings. Our bakery-cafes routinely donate bread and baked goods to community organizations in need. The franchisee Take Home the Bread, LLC plans to open 10 new bakery-cafes in the area over the next five years. Additional information is available on our website, http://www.panerabread.com.