UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm Donate $50,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of America Following “5 Million Step Challenge” at CES 2017
- The 5 Million Step Challenge at CES 2017 benefits local and national Boys & Girls Clubs and highlights the importance of daily walking
- UnitedHealthcare also donates 200 NERF ENERGY Game Kits to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada to help reduce childhood obesity through “exergaming” and health education
UnitedHealthcare and Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM), through its wholly owned subsidiary Qualcomm Life, Inc., donated $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
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.
Yesterday, Tuesday, Jan. 10 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.
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.”
About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
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.
About Qualcomm Incorporated
Qualcomm’s technologies powered the smartphone revolution and connected billions of people. We pioneered 3G and 4G – and now, we are leading the way to 5G and a new era of intelligent, connected devices. Our products are revolutionizing industries including automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare, and are allowing millions of devices to connect with each other in ways never before imagined. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including our semiconductor business, QCT, and our mobile, automotive, computing, IoT and healthcare businesses. To learn more, visit Qualcomm’s website, blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 1 million physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.