Boys & Girls Clubs in Washington Awarded Four New Grants By the Amerigroup Foundation

SEATTLE, Oct. 13, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Boys & Girls Clubs of America is reinforcing its commitment to the health and wellness of children and teens in Washington, thanks to $20,000 in Triple Play grants from the Amerigroup Foundation. Triple Play is Boys & Girls Clubs of America's leading healthy lifestyles program, making a meaningful impact on the health and well-being of kids and teens during the critical after-school time at Boys & Girls Clubs around the country.

The Amerigroup Foundation will be issuing the Triple Play grants to the following Clubs to encourage healthy eating and physical activities for Club members:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Snohomish County
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County
• Boys & Girls of Thurston County
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin

"It has been shown that children and teens are more likely to be inactive and consume less healthy foods during out-of-school hours," said Craig Smith, Amerigroup Washington president. "With Washington youth back to school, we are excited to continue to support programs like Triple Play that educate and motivate youth to get active and develop healthy habits that lead to a great future."

As Boys & Girls Clubs of America's proven health and wellness program, Triple Play is a game plan for the mind, body and soul. Supported by founding sponsor The Coca-Cola Company and co-sponsor, from the Amerigroup Foundation, the program's three components encourage Club members to eat healthier (mind), become more physically active (body) and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships (soul).

"Boys & Girls Clubs of America is focused on providing programs that are designed to make a lasting impact during the critical after-school hours and beyond," said Dr. Jennifer Bateman, national vice president for programs, training and youth development with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Thanks to the Amerigroup Foundation this grant will create a healthy environment where youth across Washington can adopt a healthy lifestyle that will positively influence their physical, social and intellectual wellness for years to come."

The Amerigroup Foundation is committed to improving health and strengthening communities. Through its Healthy Generations grant program, the Amerigroup Foundation works to identify the issues most in need of attention and then directs its financial support and volunteer efforts toward improving health in those areas. Promoting youth health and active lifestyles is an ongoing focus of the foundation.

The Triple Play grants announced today are part of a five-year, $10 million commitment from the Amerigroup Foundation's parent company foundation to Boys & Girls Clubs of America to promote healthy lifestyles.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, 4,300 Clubs serve 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 54 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at on Facebook and Twitter.

About the Amerigroup Foundation
The Amerigroup Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anthem, Inc. Together, with local, regional and national organizations, the Amerigroup Foundation works to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Amerigroup and its affiliated health plans serve. Amerigroup Foundation funding is focused on strategic initiatives working to address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative with five areas of focus: Healthy Heart, Cancer Prevention, Healthy Maternal Practices, Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, and Healthy Active Lifestyle. These disease states and medical conditions include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company's year-round Associate Giving program which provides a 50 percent match of associates' campaign pledges, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Amerigroup Foundation, please visit www.anthem.foundation.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America