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Running in marathons is popular sport in Denver, drawing thousands of panting participants and spectators alike for any -- and every -- reason. But perhaps the most popular of the lot is the annual Symphony Run, which last year drew 7,000 runners and raised $70,000 for the often-depleted coffers of the Denver Symphony Orchestra.
This year expectations are even greater. Long-time Symphony Run organizer Peter McLaughlin needed a new major sponsor to help underwrite the basic costs, and earlier this year he approached Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Colorado. He caught the state's largest health insurance provider at the right time.
Bill Baker, BC/BS director of public affairs, says the firm was looking for a community project to get involved with because "we were known as that great, big, stodgy insurance company." The health aspects of a marathon appealed to Blue Cross, and besides, the Symphony is a worthy -- not to mention visible -- cause.
And let's be honest, it's...