Aetna Foundation Awards $25,000 Grant to Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta Sporting Chance® Program to Help Fight Childhood Obes...
February 21 2012 - 5:05PM
Business Wire
The Aetna Foundation has awarded a $25,000 grant to the Girls
Incorporated® of Greater Atlanta (Girls Inc.) for Girls Inc.
Sporting Chance®, a program that helps local girls build a
foundation for enjoying physical activity, sports and adventure
throughout their lives.
In 2010 and 2011, through support from the Aetna Foundation,
Girls Inc. taught more than 100 girls how to make exercise fun and
build healthy eating habits. Girls Inc. Sporting Chance program
participants learned a variety of new skills, including how to play
basketball and tennis, jump rope, and run track. The girls, ranging
from ages 6 to 18, also learned strategies for making smart
nutritional choices to keep their bodies healthy, energetic and
strong.
Many of the girls participating in the program live in areas
with significant obesity rates and are at risk of becoming obese or
overweight.
Sharon Dalton, the Aetna Foundation’s vice president and
director of regional grant making, says the Girls Inc. Sporting
Chance program offers the kind of dual approach that can
effectively fight childhood obesity.
“We know that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and regular
physical activity can help young people maintain a healthy weight
and reduce their risk of diabetes, heart disease and other
obesity-related illnesses when they are older,” said Dalton. “By
offering nutrition education and a wide range of physical
activities and sports, the Girls Inc. Sporting Chance program is
teaching girls health lessons that can lead to a lifetime of good
health.”
Heather S. Rocker, CEO of Girls Inc., says the collaboration
between the Aetna Foundation and Girls Inc. is already making a
powerful difference for young girls across metro Atlanta.
“We are thrilled the Aetna Foundation has chosen to support us
again this year,” said Rocker. “Their 2012 level of giving enables
us to provide up to six sessions of the Girls Inc. Sporting Chance
program, which has a tremendous impact on the girls the program
serves.
“For example, after participating in the program, 96 percent of
girls reported an interest in joining a recreational sports team
and 87 percent were eating less junk food,” said Rocker. “The Girls
Inc. Sporting Chance program is making a difference, and the Aetna
Foundation’s continued support is essential to the program’s
success.”
Additionally, employees at Aetna, the parent company of the
Aetna Foundation, will participate in Girls Inc. of Greater
Atlanta’s new Strategic Volunteering™ initiative, which allows
employees to experience meaningful volunteer placements within
Girls Inc. and expand the capacity of the organization to meet its
mission.
About 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 Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta
Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta is a gender-specific, youth
serving organization that provides research-based programs helping
girls overcome the effects of gender inequity and become
self-sufficient, responsible, and economically-empowered women.
Since its inception in 1976, Girls Inc. has served approximately
100,000 girls in metro Atlanta. Our partnerships with more than 50
schools implementing informal educational programs designed to
encourage girls to make strong, smart and bold decisions and to
take informed risks and master physical, intellectual and emotional
challenges has resulted in a decrease in teen pregnancy among the
population of girls served. Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta
has positioned itself as a leading organization that addresses the
needs of girls between the ages of 6 and 18, from low and moderate
income families, who seek safe and creative programs to improve
their life outcomes. Girls Inc.’s mission is to inspire all girls
to be strong (healthy), smart (educated) and bold
(independent).
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