Health & Fitness
Health and Fitness
Health and Fitness
Thu, February 5, 2009
Wed, February 4, 2009
Aetna Awards $165,900 to Kansas City Nonprofits
LEAWOOD, Kan.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aetna (NYSE: [ AET ]) and the Aetna Foundation announced this week they awarded $165,900 to six Kansas City area nonprofits in 2008.
These nonprofits focus on wellness, which is a primary interest of Aetna, which employs 550 people in Kansas City.
"We're not just in Kansas City, but we're for Kansas City," said John Stockton, a market head for Aetna based at Aetna's Leawood offices. "Helping people take control of their health is one of our main goals, so you'll find much of what we fund nationwide is directed toward that end," he added.
The six Kansas City organizations receiving Aetna and Aetna Foundation grants in 2008 are:
- The American Heart Association in Kansas City for its "Start!" program that encourages companies to set up walking programs and individuals to participate in walking programs: $75,000;
- St. Luke's Hospital Foundation for its Healthy People Initiative comprised of: 1) health education programs focusing on prevention, early detection, treatment and disease management; and 2) screenings that identify health risks (i.e., stroke-risk screenings, prostate cancer screening, lipid profile testing, bone density testing, and depression risk screening): $75,000;
- John Knox Village for the Kid Fit Program, which funded a physical education and fitness curriculum designed to instill healthy behaviors of regular exercise, sound nutrition and adequate rest for toddlers, pre-school and pre-K-age children at the Village: $5,400;
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation -- Breath of Life Ball: $5,000;
- Spofford for its Strengthening Families Program targeting children ages 4 to 12 with emotional and behavioral disorders due to a mental illness or to childhood trauma: $3,000; and
- YMCA of Greater Kansas City, which funded an equipment purchase for a program that offers sports and recreation programs for children with physical and/or developmental disabilities: $2,500.
About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Founded in 1972, the Foundation seeks to help build healthy communities by funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers work and live.
The Foundation's giving is focused on health, diversity and employee community involvement, with broader programs in our home state of Connecticut. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed over $334 million in grants, sponsorships and social investments. In 2008, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation contributed more than $25 million
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nationally. Additional information about the Aetna Foundation is available at [ www.aetna.com/foundation ].
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see [ www.aetna.com ].
