Health & Fitness
Health and Fitness
Health and Fitness
Tue, June 15, 2010 
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Aetna (NYSE: AET) and the Aetna Foundation in 2009 awarded community grants and sponsorships in Florida totaling $721,000, with a particular focus on disease prevention, obesity and health screening.
"Aetna and the Aetna Foundation are proud to partner with organizations across the country in support of their good work, and we look forward to continued relationships as we focus our giving in key areas going forward"
The contributions support Aetnaa™s commitment to enhancing the quality of health care, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities. In total, the Aetna Foundation, Aetna and its employees awarded more than $24 million nationally in 2009.
The 41 Florida grant recipients were:
- 100 Black Men of Jacksonville Inc.;
- American Diabetes Association;
- American Heart Association-Florida Chapters;
- Amigos Together For Kids Inc.;
- Cathedral Arts Project Inc.;
- Communities In Schools of Jacksonville;
- Crohna™s & Colitis Foundation of America-Florida Chapter;
- Easter Seals Florida, Tampa Bay Community;
- Epilepsy Foundation of Florida Inc.;
- HandsOn Jacksonville;
- Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County Inc.;
- Henderson Mental Health Center Inc.;
- Hispanic Events Inc.;
- Hispanic Unity of Florida Inc.;
- Hollywood Beach Latin Festival;
- I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless Inc.;
- Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police;
- Kids Beating Cancer Inc.;
- Kiwanis of Little Havana Foundation;
- Lee Memorial Health System Foundation;
- Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Inc.;
- Memorial Foundation, Hollywood;
- Miami Childrena™s Museum;
- Miami Dade College Foundation;
- Miami Heart Research Institute;
- Miami Police Athletic League Inc.;
- Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center;
- MicheLee Puppets Inc.;
- Pax Catholic Communications Inc.;
- South Florida Urban Ministries Inc.;
- The University of North Florida Foundation Inc.;
- The Way Free Medical Clinic Inc.;
- UNIDAD of Miami Beach Inc.;
- United Way of Broward County;
- United Way of Miami Dade;
- University of Florida Foundation Inc.;
- University of Miami;
- University of South Florida Foundation Inc.;
- Voice of Love Training and Development Center Inc.;
- Volunteers in Medicine-Jacksonville; and
- WJCT Inc.
aAetna is proud to support organizations in Florida that are making great strides in targeting health care issues that affect our communities,a said Mark LaBorde, president of Aetnaa™s Tampa and Jacksonville markets. aAs a responsible corporate citizen, we recognize our obligation to help address these critical needs.a
The largest of those grants was for $52,000 to Orlando-based MicheLee Puppets Inc. in support of its aEXTREME Health Challenge.a The program targets childhood obesity by engaging students from kindergarten through fifth grade in fun and educational programs. The activities help children achieve Sunshine State Standards in math, science and language arts while theya™re learning about nutrition and exercise. The comprehensive package equips schools with posters, DVDs, live performances and activity guides, giving them effective tools to influence students and faculty members.
aAetna and the Aetna Foundation are proud to partner with organizations across the country in support of their good work, and we look forward to continued relationships as we focus our giving in key areas going forward,a said Anne Beal, MD, MPH, president of the Aetna Foundation. aFor 2010 and beyond, we are transitioning to a new approach that encompasses a more concentrated grant-making focus on specific health issues of national concern, enhanced communication and measurement of the impact of our grants, a more proportionate distribution of our charitable giving across the country, and a more holistic relationship with our community partners that capitalizes on our employee presence and the generosity and talents of our employee volunteers.a
The Aetna Foundation has opened the call for proposals for the 2010 grant cycle. Grant applicants should visit [ www.AetnaFoundation.org ] for more information on how to apply for a grant and to learn more about the following Aetna Foundation focus areas for grant making in 2010 and beyond:
- Addressingthe rising incidence of obesity among U.S. residents, including children;
- Promoting racial and ethnic equity in health and health care for common chronic conditions and for the prevention of infant mortality; and
- Advancing integrated health care, by:
- Improving coordination and communications among health care professionals;
- Creating informed and involved patients; and
- Promoting cost-effective, affordable care.
About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed over $379 million in grants and sponsorships. As a national health foundation, we promote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone. This work is enhanced by the time and commitment of Aetna employees, who have volunteered nearly 2 million hours since 2003. Our current giving is focused on addressing the rising rate of adult and childhood obesity in the U.S.; promoting racial and ethnic equity in health and health care; and advancing integrated health care. For more information, visit[ www.AetnaFoundation.org ].
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nationa™s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.1 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 ] and Aetna's Annual Report at [ www.aetna.com/2009annualreport ].
