By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, awarded $2,500 in UnitedHealth HEROES grants to two schools and an organization serving the youth in Hawaii for youth-led projects that address childhood obesity. As childhood obesity rates continue to rise dramatically1, UnitedHealth HEROES supports kids’ creative efforts to battle obesity.
UnitedHealth HEROES is a wellness initiative developed by UnitedHealthcare and YSA (Youth Service America) designed to encourage young people, working with educators and youth leaders, to create and implement walking, running or hiking programs aimed at helping fight childhood obesity.
Grants of up to $1,000 were awarded to youth-led programs that include both an activity element, in which kids count their steps, and a service component that increases awareness, provides direct service, enables advocacy on behalf of a cause, or features youth philanthropy around the issue of childhood obesity. UnitedHealth HEROES grants are available to schools and youth-focused, community-based programs across the country. UnitedHealth HEROES projects will begin on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (Jan. 21, 2013) and end on Global Youth Service Day (April 26-28, 2013).
A complete list of grant winners and their projects is available online at www.ysa.org/HEROES. Grant recipients in Hawaii include:
- Kailana Program (Kaneohe) received a $500 grant for “Step Up to Better Health Challenge” – This initiative will challenge the youths in the Kailana Program to walk/run five days per week, with the staff and family members matching the number of their steps. The students also will research and develop educational material on health problems Native Hawaiians face due to obesity and how walking and running can help overcome those challenges. The students also will develop a walking path at Kailana Program’s 6.5-acre residential campus.
- Keone’ula Elementary School (Ewa Beach) received a $1,000 grant for “Running for Health With A Cause” – The project will encourage students to participate in local walk/run events including: Great Aloha Run, Honolulu 5K for Kids, and Jamba Juice Banana Man Chase 5K. The students also will learn about the causes that are supported by these races, as well as raising additional funds to promote health and wellness at the school by purchasing exercise equipment for recess and physical education classes. Students also will participate in a food drive for the Honolulu Foodbank.
- After-School All-Stars Hawaii/Keaau Middle School (Keaau) received a $1,000 grant where students will host run-a-thons during lunch and recess. The students will use math to log total miles, and geography to chart a course based on total miles logged to see if they could cover the distance between Hawaii and the mainland in time for the Global Youth Service Day in April. Students also will implement running-based warm-up exercises in their after school activities.
“Once again this year we were amazed by the creative ideas young people came up with to help fight obesity and encourage healthier lifestyles,” said Kate Rubin, vice president of social responsibility, UnitedHealth Group. “By planning, and then participating in the UnitedHealth HEROES program, these youth are working to ‘Step into Service,’ and give back to their communities, as they positively impact the lives of everyone around them.”
“UnitedHealth HEROES asks the young people of Hawaii to step up to address an issue that directly affects them. The program is changing the way communities across the country think about the role of young people,” said Steven A. Culbertson, president and CEO of YSA. “Kids can be leaders, and through UnitedHealth HEROES, they are teaching other kids—and grown-ups too—about the value of healthy lifestyles.”
Obesity is a critical problem among America’s children. According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three children is obese or overweight, putting them on the road to lifelong chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
According to America’s Health Rankings®, obesity is one of the greatest health threats in the United States. It is a leading cause of preventable death. The direct medical costs associated with obesity in 2008 were estimated at $147 billion. America’s Health Rankings is an annual state-by-state assessment of the nation’s health. It is published jointly by United Health Foundation, the American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention.