On December 12 and 13, Highmark and Fifth Avenue Place will rally the community around sustainable, eco-friendly and green practices by hosting Environmental Leadership Days in Fifth Avenue Place's Center Court in downtown Pittsburgh from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Individuals can meet with local environmental nonprofits -- including Green Building Alliance, the Rachel Carson Homestead and Sustainable Pittsburgh -- to receive membership information, green tips and more. The first 500 guests on each day will receive a free compact fluorescent light bulb, which uses 75 percent less energy than an incandescent light bulb.

"Creating a healthier environment also helps to create healthier communities," said Byron Falchetti, president of Standard Property Corporation, the real estate subsidiary of Highmark. "Our goal is to encourage the entire Pittsburgh community to implement sustainable, eco-friendly and green practices in their lives so that we can make Pittsburgh a better and healthier place to live."

Devra Lee Davis, PhD, MPH, Director of the Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, will be at Environmental Leadership Days on December 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to sign copies of her recent book, "The Secret History of the War on Cancer."

A strategic objective of Highmark is to apply traditional process improvement tools like Six Sigma to the evaluation of resource consumption across the company and its effects on the environment. Highmark's sustainable, eco-friendly, green business practices include the operation of a Silver LEED certified Data Center near Hershey, Pa., paper and utilities conservation initiatives and the use of certified green seal cleaning supplies in Highmark's facilities.

As one of the leading health insurers in Pennsylvania, Highmark's mission is to provide access to affordable, quality health care enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. Based in Pittsburgh, Highmark serves 4.6 million people through the company's health care benefits business.

Highmark contributes millions of dollars to help keep quality health care programs affordable and to support community-based programs that work to improve people's health. Highmark exerts an enormous economic impact throughout Pennsylvania. A recent study states that Highmark's positive impact exceeded $2.5 billion. The company provides the resources to give its members a greater hand in their health.

Highmark Inc. is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

12/7/2007