Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota and employees contribute more than $100,000 to local food shelves

EAGAN, Minn., April 18, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) today announced that it contributed $133,841 to local food shelves through the March Minnesota FoodShare Drive. Employees contributed $62,326 and 9,189 pounds of food, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation contributed an additional $71,515 through a dollar for dollar match.

"We're very proud of our employees' generous response and recognition of the tremendous need for food assistance in our local communities," said Ken Burdick , president and CEO. "We know that these contributions will make a healthy difference in the lives of many Minnesota families."

In Eagan, food and donations were distributed to 360 Communities, Eagan Resource Center, Hastings Family Service and Neighbors, Inc. In Greater Minnesota, receiving organizations included the Aurora Food Shelf; Channel One Food Shelves, Rochester; ECHO Food Shelf, Mankato; Hibbing Food Shelf; Quad City Food Shelf, Gilbert; Ralph Reeder Food Shelf, New Brighton; Randall Presbyterian Church; Second Harvest North Central Food Bank, Grand Rapids; and Virginia Salvation Army. Additional donations were submitted to Minnesota FoodShare, which supports all of Minnesota's food shelves.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota's first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today as a health company: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. Blue Cross is a not-for-profit, taxable organization. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.

SOURCE Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota