Aetna and the Aetna Foundation Fund Dancing for Health Initiatives in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Hartford
March 03 2011 - 4:17PM
Business Wire
As part of its efforts to reduce obesity rates, particularly
among minority populations that face the highest risk, Aetna (NYSE:
AET) and the Aetna Foundation today announced grants totaling
$63,000 to four organizations that offer dance-oriented health and
fitness programs for children and families who live in underserved
areas. Receiving support are the Dance Theatre of Harlem in New
York, The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, Dance Out Diabetes in San
Francisco and the Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford.
“Investing in innovative programs in our communities is an
important part of our strategy to reverse obesity rates, especially
among those most vulnerable,” said Anne C. Beal, M.D., M.P.H.,
president of the Aetna Foundation. She noted that when compared
with white people, African Americans have a 51 percent higher
prevalence of obesity and Hispanics have a 21 percent higher
prevalence of obesity.
“Dance can be a powerful motivator for people of all fitness
levels to express their physicality. Programs that combine
increased movement with nutritional guidance can help young people
and their families adopt healthy habits for a lifetime. Our goal is
to stem today’s obesity epidemic and its attendant medical risks of
diabetes, heart disease and other serious illnesses,” Beal
said.
Re-enforcing Aetna’s recognition of dance’s therapeutic effects,
the company’s 2011 Latino Calendar features individuals who are
committed to improving their own health and the wellness of their
communities through dance.
In New York
This month, the Dance Theatre of Harlem launched the Aetna
Foundation Healthy Dancers, Healthy Families Initiative, a
multi-year effort funded with a $25,000 grant from the Aetna
Foundation to provide 500 local children and their families with a
year-round series of workshops on obesity, healthy eating, and
dance exercise at its school. New workshops for children and their
parents include Ballet Fit, Adult Ballet, Liturgical Dance and a
“Whole Dancer” curriculum. According to the New York City
Department of Public Health, 60 percent of adults and 40 percent of
children living in Greater Harlem are overweight or obese, putting
them at higher risk of heart disease, diabetes and other serious
illnesses.
In Chicago
The Aetna Foundation’s $10,000 grant to The Joffrey Ballet helps
fund the renowned dance company’s Middle School Dance Clubs program
in Chicago Public Schools. Serving about 400 primarily
African-American and Hispanic students in grades 5 – 8, the
Joffrey’s in-school program offers fitness through dance, allowing
students to have fun while engaging in high-level physical
activities twice a week and learning healthy eating habits.
Underscoring the role that dance can play in motivating and
educating young people, the program fosters self-expression,
artistic creativity, discipline, and a sense of accomplishment as
the students come together for a final performance at the end of
the school year during a week-long dance finale.
In San Francisco
The Dance Out Diabetes First Steps program addresses the need
for a safe, diabetes-friendly environment for those with -- or at
risk for -- diabetes and least likely to have access to quality
health care. The program, supported by a $13,000 grant from Aetna,
offers a wide variety of dance instruction and free-style dance for
all ages as a fun, positive way to introduce or increase physical
activity while providing diabetes and nutrition education from
certified diabetes educators and registered dietitians. The program
measures participants’ blood pressure, weight, glucose and A1C
values and offers support onsite, telephonically and through its
website. In addition, families and support persons are encouraged
to attend to reduce the feeling of isolation and promote better
health for the family as a whole.
In Hartford
With a $15,000 grant, Aetna is supporting the Charter Oak
Cultural Center’s program Stretching for Life, a free after-school,
weekend and summer dance class for more than 400 city children from
minority populations, ages 4 through 18. Students not only learn
the basics of dance, but also learn about the importance of regular
physical activity, are exposed to the music and movement of
different cultures and participate in the creation of original
choreography. In Hartford, 50 percent of 11-year-old children are
estimated to be obese, extremely obese or at risk for obesity.
Fighting obesity is one of the Aetna Foundation’s three program
areas, along with promoting racial and ethnic equity in health and
health care and promoting more integrated and coordinated patient
care. In 2010, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation contributed more than
$2.3 million in support of research and programs to reduce obesity
rates.
About the Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation, Inc. is the independent charitable and
philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna
Foundation have contributed $394 million in grants and
sponsorships, including $15.6 million in 2010. 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 more than 2.3 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 nation’s leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 35.3 million people with
information and resources to help them make better informed
decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of
traditional, voluntary 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. To learn more
about Aetna's innovative online tools, visit
www.aetnatools.com.
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