Weekly health and fitness agenda: Pepsi's Refresh Awards, World Water Day, Brain Awareness Week

This week the first awards will be given out for Pepsi’s Refresh community health ideas, while the international community comes together to promote clean water and brain awareness.

Pepsi's Refresh Project Awards
March 1
Online

Pepsi's Refresh Project is a new campaign based on social-cause marketing, the program is simple and user-friendly, basically if you have an idea on how to better your community's health, share it and get people to vote. RefreshEverything.com just opened voting and by March 1 the first round of winning health ideas will be granted. Each month 32 grants are distributed, totaling 1.3 million dollars (715,000 Euros). To learn more http://www.refresheverything.com/

Early registration for BIO in Chicago
March 11
online

The 17th Annual BIO convention, the global biotechnology industry event of the year, takes place May 3-5 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. This year's theme is Heal, Fuel, Feed the World and boasts keynote luncheons with US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and former US Vice President Al Gore. Registration is open and tickets purchased prior to March 11 save $750 (€556) off the $2945 (€2182) non-member and $2145 (€1590) member conference rate. More than 25,000 participants are expected from the healthcare, industrial and environmental, and food and agriculture industries ranging from scientists to mid-level executives representing over 68 nations. http://convention.bio.org/

15th Annual Brain Awareness Week (BAW)
March 15-21
worldwide

BAW is a global campaign to promote brain research awareness, triumphs and inspire the next generation of neuroscientists through a week of celebration. The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, leading organization of neuroscientists, created the event and manages it in partnership with its European counterpart, The European Dana Alliance for the Brain. http://www.dana.org/brainweek/

World Water Day (WWD)
March 22
International

This year marks the 8th annual WWD with the theme: Communicating Water Challenges and Opportunities. UN-Water's campaign will focus on water quality and resource management to promote "clean water for a healthy world" for overall wellbeing of humans and ecosystems. http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday International list of local events: http://www.worldwaterday.org/page/2543

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day
March 24
International

The global initiative to eliminate TB by 2015 hits the halfway mark this year and WHO's StopTB campaign announced that this year's theme is innovation. Researchers from around the globe are sharing their stories on their blog to raise public awareness; contributions from Vietnam to Kenya are already being shared. Various organizations are planning day events in India. http://www.worldtbday.org/ http://www.stoptb.org/events/world_tb_day/2010/

International Fitness Showcase (IFS) 2010
March 26-28
Winter Gardens
Blackpool, United Kingdom

The 6th annual program packs over 235 different fitness sessions into three days, designed for fitness instructors, trainers and the public. IFS expects 6,000 participants from Asia and Europe with fitness and health champions from Argentina to Japan leading classes on The Fit Zone, Gravity, Modern Pilates and much more. A three-day ticket is £119.00/€135. http://www.chrysalispromotions.com/