Boys & Girls Clubs In Missouri Awarded New Grants By The Anthem Blue Cross And Blue Shield Foundation

ST. LOUIS, Dec. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Through Triple Play, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation are delivering education and programming that promote the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition, and enable youth to build the skills needed to overcome environmental factors that can negatively impact health and wellness. Thanks to $40,000 in Triple Play grants from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, more youth will have access to health and wellness programming in Missouri.

Through the partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs in Missouri have made significant strides enabling youth to reach their full potential as healthy, productive adults. When comparing Missouri Club kids to national youth averages, for example, 74 percent of club members report they have never drank alcohol, compared to 37 percent of nationally.

Thanks to the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, the following clubs will receive grants to implement the Triple Play program:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Missouri
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Columbia Area (awarded $10,000)
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (awarded $20,000)

"At the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, we are working to ensure Missouri youth have an opportunity to live a healthier life," said Amadou Yattassaye, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri. "Through our foundation, we are taking a proactive approach to adolescent health that takes into consideration social and environmental factors that impact well-being, and providing access to resources and support that foster greater awareness about the benefits of leading a healthier lifestyle that can positively impact their 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 the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, the program's three components deliver on the belief that whole child health fosters young people's ability to gain diverse knowledge, skills and protective factors that enable them to overcome barriers to wellness, resulting in positive future health outcomes.

"Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation's continued support of Triple Play has enabled us to continuously build and implement a whole child development approach," said Jennifer Bateman, national vice president of Youth Development Programs for Boys & Girls Clubs of America. "Through the partnership, we're enabling Missouri youth in all communities statewide to develop the healthy habits, and social and emotional skills to lead a healthy lifestyle for life."

The Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation is committed to improving health and strengthening communities. In addition to today's grants, the foundation also awarded the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis $20,000 to renovate a Triple Play Gamesroom. Since 2011, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation has supported Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis with more than $350,000 in grants impacting thousands of St. Louis youth. The foundation has also been a key partner with the Ferguson Boys & Girls Club, donating more than $165,000, including a donation to the Ferguson Boys & Girls Club's new Teen Center that will be completed in 2019.

Through Triple Play, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation aims to create positive outcomes for youth, families and communities that are sustained over time. Together, the partnership seeks to level the playing field to enable all youth to achieve great futures.

The Triple Play grants are part of a five-year, $10 million commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America from the Anthem Foundation, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation's parent company.

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 on Facebook and Twitter.

About Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation
Through charitable grant making, the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation LLC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, promotes Anthem's inherent commitment to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These 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 and its parent foundation provides a 50 percent match of associates' pledges. ®ANTHEM is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield names and symbols are registered marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America