Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois Helps Keep Special Olympics Athletes Healthy
Awards grant & sponsorship worth $75,000+
CHICAGO, Oct. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) is proud to support Special Olympics Illinois with more than $75,000 in funding:
- A Community Partners Grant of $27,000 will help fund the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes Program®. The Program helps 3,590 athletes with intellectual disabilities, their families and their coaches receive free, vision, hearing, dental, fitness and physical health screenings.
"Special Olympics Illinois offers year-round training and competition in 19 sports for tens of thousands of athletes in Illinois," says Donna Gerber, Vice President, Public Affairs and Community Investments, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. "But to compete at their best, the athletes need to be healthy. We're proud to help the adults and children in Special Olympics realize their full potential in sports and in life."
- Blue Cross is also providing $50,000 to be a Gold Medal sponsor for the Special Olympic Illinois Inspire Greatness Gala. The event, which will be held Saturday, October 25 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, raises funds to support the current programs of Special Olympics and efforts to serve even more athletes in the future. Last year's Gala, chaired by BCBSIL president Karen Atwood, raised more than $850,000.
"At BCBSIL we like to focus our resources on just a couple of things," says Atwood, who serves on the Special Olympics Illinois Board of Directors. "Much of our investment is on improving health and wellness and we also focus on diversity and inclusion - and those 2 things together are the epitome of what I think Special Olympics is all about."
"We are incredibly grateful for the support we've received from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois. These funds allow Special Olympics Illinois to continue transforming the lives of both current and future Special Olympics Athletes," says Dave Breen, Special Olympics Illinois President and CEO. "In addition, the funds will lead to further innovation and program growth, and expand opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families."
In total, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois is supporting 71 community organizations through financial grants, and 240 groups with sponsorships.
Learn more about our giving at www.bcbsil.com/company-info/community-involvement/grant-sponsorship.
About Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL)
With 7.9 million members, BCBSIL, a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, is the largest health insurance company in Illinois. Begun in 1936 in Chicago, BCBSIL remains member owned rather than publicly traded, and is committed to promoting the health and wellness of its members and its communities, fostering greater access to care, and working to lower the overall cost of care while improving the health care quality and patient outcomes. For more information, visit www.BCBSIL.com, visit our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter.
About Special Olympics Illinois
Special Olympics Illinois is a not-for-profit organization offering year-round training and competition in 19 sports for nearly 21,500 traditional athletes with intellectual disabilities and more than 18,500 Young Athletes ages 2-7 with and without intellectual disabilities. Special Olympics transforms the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, allowing them to realize their full potential in sports and in life. Special Olympics programs enhance physical fitness, motor skills, self-confidence, social skills and encourage family and community support. If you are interested in learning more about Special Olympics Illinois, volunteering or providing financial support to help make Special Olympics programs possible, contact your local Special Olympics agency, call 800-394-0562 or visit our website at www.soill.org.
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SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois
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