Insurer will be exclusive presenter of Y’s “Healthy Living” events and activities in region
Philadelphia, PA – Independence Blue Cross (IBC) announced its sole sponsorship of the “Healthy Living” suite of programs provided by the YMCA of Philadelphia & Vicinity today during a ceremony at the Healthy Kids Day event at the Y’s Rocky Run location in Media, PA.
Healthy Kids Day is free and is one of the Y’s numerous popular events offering fun through fitness to the public. Approximately 700,000 families attended the events at more than 1,900 YMCA locations across the country. Improving the health and well-being of kids by offering fun, active play, and educational activities to help parents improve their kids’ lifestyles for the long term is a national initiative of the Y.
“The Y is dedicated to the health and wellness of people throughout our region, making our sponsorship of Healthy Kids Day and all of the Y’s Healthy Living programs, a natural choice for IBC, where our mission is enhancing the health and wellness of the people and communities we serve,” said Chris Cashman, IBC executive vice president and president of commercial markets. “In addition to strengthening the common bond we share with the Y, this important partnership provides an opportunity for IBC to inform the region of the benefits of regular fitness and exercise.”
The Rocky Run ceremony took place inside a gymnasium, where Cashman and John Flynn, president and CEO of the YMCA of Philadelphia & Vicinity, unveiled a new four-by-six-foot banner that features the logos of the Y and IBC, and reads: “Healthy Living Programs Are Sponsored by Independence Blue Cross.”
“This expression of IBC’s confidence in the YMCA of Philadelphia & Vicinity means a great deal to us,” said Flynn. “This is more than one company supporting one institution – it is a meaningful partnership between two very strong organizations dedicated to the health and wellness of our region.”
“Our goal is to ignite and foster a movement in our region where people of all ages become more engaged with their own health and that of their families. We believe this can be done by supporting established and proven events and organizations, such as Healthy Kids Day and the Y,” added Cashman. “Ultimately, it’s about sustainability. We want to ensure that this important initiative remains free and widely available to the public.”
About the YMCA of Philadelphia & Vicinity
The Y is one of the nation’s leading nonprofits strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. Throughout the Delaware Valley, the YMCA of Philadelphia & Vicinity serves more than 52,000 members and 140,000 individuals a year – regardless of age, income or background – to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nation’s health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. Anchored in 10 locations throughout the Delaware Valley, the YMCA of Philadelphia & Vicinity has the long-standing relationships and physical presence not just to promise, but to deliver, lasting personal and social change. For more information, please call 215-963-3700, or visit philaymca.org.