Pittsburgh Ringing in New Year with Environmentally Fri...(Pittsburgh a better and healthier place ...),Health

The ball, weighing approximately 1,000 pounds, reaches 6 feet 7 inches in diameter and touches a height of 74 feet above the roof of Penn Avenue Place in downtown Pittsburgh. The best place to view the launch of the ball will be at the Highmark Stage located at the corner of Stanwix Street and Penn Avenue. The grand finale and countdown to midnight will begin at 10:30 p.m. with a live performance by celebrated Pittsburgh band The Clarks.

"Raising 'The Future of Pittsburgh' has become the biggest highlight of the First Night festivities, and we are very grateful to Highmark for spearheading this great Pittsburgh tradition," said J. Kevin McMahon, president and CEO of The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. "The future of the Cultural District and Pittsburgh is bright, and there is no better place to celebrate our successes as a region than at the corner of Stanwix and Penn Avenue on New Year's Eve."

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
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