United Healthcare and Qualcomm Donate $50,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America Following “5 Million Step Challenge” at CES 2017 in Las Vegas
UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm Incorporated, through its wholly owned subsidiary Qualcomm Life, Inc., has donated $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
UHC NERF Donation
The donation, which will be shared by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada and the nonprofit’s national organization, is the culmination of a fundraiser that was held during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2017. UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm gave away 500 activity trackers to CES attendees, encouraging participants to each walk 10,000 steps on Saturday, Jan. 7, for a combined total goal of 5 million steps; participants collectively walked 6.5 million steps as part of the challenge.
UHC NERF Donation
This week at the Lied Memorial Clubhouse in Las Vegas, the two companies presented a $50,000 check to Andy Bischel, president & CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada.
UHC NERF Donation
UnitedHealthcare also donated 200 NERF Energy Game Kits, a limited-release game that tracks physical activity and rewards kids for being active. As children participate in physical activity, they earn “energy points” that are tracked by the activity band, and these points turn into screen time to play the mobile game on a smartphone or tablet. The Nerf Energy RUSH mobile game is an “endless runner” game that requires players to turn, jump and avoid obstacles to complete courses and earn power-ups to continue playing.
The donation is part of a recently launched national initiative featuring Hasbro’s NERF products that encourages young people to become more active through “exergaming.” UnitedHealthcare is donating 10,000 NERF ENERGY Game Kits to elementary schools and youth-focused organizations across the country, enabling children ages six to 12 to receive the kits at no cost.
“This generous donation from UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm will help us improve the lives of young people in Nevada by encouraging healthy living, good nutrition and regular physical activity,” said Bischel. “We believe these new NERF ENERGY Game Kits will help young people in our community learn that exercise can be fun.”
Studies indicate that “exergaming” has the potential to reduce the growing obesity epidemic among children and adults. A study by George Washington University found exergames “spurred students to move enough to meet the recommended intensity criteria for vigorous activity,” and that these games are “a useful alternative to traditional physical education.”
For more than 150 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, more than 4,200 Clubs serve nearly 4 million young people annually 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, friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Priority programs emphasize 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 http://www.bgca.org/facebook and http://bgca.org/twitter.