Wings of Hope - July 2011, Volume 9

• A Minute with Matt
• Giving Campaign - Coming Soon
• Northeast Wine Tasting Event a Big Success!
• Wings of Hope Golf Classic Tees It Up!
• Your Dollars in Action

A Minute with Matt

Dear Friends,

The year has flashed by and now our UnitedHealth Group's annual charitable giving campaign is just around the corner. This is hugely important to the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF) as two thirds of our grant money is made available through the generosity of the UnitedHealth Group employees and the company's matching funds. Last year over 9,000 employees made contributions to UHCCF. We hope to reach even more employees this year.

In 2010, the Foundation awarded 787 medical grants to children worth an estimated $2.6 million. This year we expect to help over 1,000 families through our grants.

We also raise funds in a variety of other ways. We are a member of America's Charities and, as such, participate in charitable campaigns in both public and private workplaces across the United States. Our UnitedHealth Group field offices have completed a number of events already and have over 15 more planned by year-end. These include runs, golf tournaments, bowling events, wine tastings, dinners and auctions. Countless volunteers nationwide rally to help make these events so successful.

We are grateful each day for the many board members, employees and team members who volunteer their time and talents to the foundation.

We encourage you to look through this issue of Wings of Hope to learn more about us or visit our web site and meet some of the children who have benefited from the work of UHCCF.

 

Matt Peterson
UHCCF President

"For it is in giving that we receive"
St. Francis of Assisi

Giving Campaign - Coming Soon

The 2011 UnitedHealth Group Giving Campaign starts September 12 and runs through September 30.  The UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF) is pleased to once again be a giving partner, which means any amount you contribute during the 2011 UnitedHealth Group Giving Campaign will be matched, dollar for dollar!

Last year our generous employees enabled UHCCF to provide 787 grants worth an estimated $2.6 million.

With the power of a dollar for dollar match opportunity, your generosity reaches farther than ever…and the money you donate helps families in your region pay for medical services such as speech therapy, or medical equipment like hearing aids and wheelchairs.

If you contributed to UHCCF last year, we sincerely thank you for your generosity and hope that you will continue your contribution this year. If you haven't contributed to UHCCF, we invite you to consider contributing.

As our way of saying "thank you" for your support, employees who contribute to UHCCF will receive:

• If you contribute $20 total (less than $1 per pay period), you will receive a 2012 UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation calendar.
• If you contribute $2 per pay period ($52 total), you will receive this year's gray teddy bear PLUS a 2012 UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation calendar. Collect a new teddy bear every year.
• For a contribution of $10 per pay period ($260 total) you will receive a gray Champion^® sweatshirt (unisex) PLUS a 2012 UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation calendar.
• And for $40 per pay period ($1,040 total), you will receive a bejeweled collectible Swarovski crystal butterfly and a display plate PLUS a 2012 UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation calendar.

 

 

Have a smart phone?  Use the free Neoreader or Beetag app to view this information on your
smart phone.

Northeast Wine Tasting Event a Big Success

On July 20, UnitedHealthcare held a Wine Tasting Event to raise funds for the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation.  Over 185 clients, general agents, brokers, network providers, UnitedHealthcare employees and their guests attended this event. Gathered on the north shore of Long Island, funds were raised to assist children in the northeast.

Bill Golden, CEO of New York Health Plan, had the pleasure of introducing Andrew, an energetic five-year-old, and one of our grant recipients.  Andrew suffers from bronchomalacia, which increases his susceptibility to pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses.  Prior to learning about the grant from the Suffolk County Health Department, Andrew spent the better part of 2010 in the hospital.  Because of the grant, the family was able to obtain a cough-assist vest and Andrew is a much healthier and happier child.

The Wine Tasting raised more than $58,000 for the foundation.  During his remarks, Matt Peterson, President of the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation, shared that so far this year, the number of grant applications has increased and we are on pace to surpass our 2010 grant volume by approximately 30 percent.

Among the guests at Mamma Lombardi's on the Sound were senior leaders Jeff Alter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual, Rich Collins, CEO Northeast Region, Kevin Ruth, SVP UnitedHealth Group and Matthew Power, Sales Executive and organizer (chair) of this event.

Wings of Hope Gold Classic Tees it Up!

Prestigious Hazeltine National was the site of the second-annual Wings of Hope Golf Classic on August 8, raising more than $275,000 for the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF).

Thirty-two lucky foursomes enjoyed the new greens along with the newly-built clubhouse. Afterwards, golfers and friends of the foundation were treated to a wine tasting and dinner. A silent auction and live auction gave the guests an opportunity to bid on many wonderful items while contributing to the foundation.

The special guest of the evening was 9-year-old grant recipient Tony from Otsego, Minnesota. In addition, his grandmother is a UnitedHealth Group employee. Tony came up on stage to tell his story and help auctioneer Grant Snyder raise funds during the live auction. He did such a great job that we presented him with a miniature version of the UnitedHealthcare Pro-Cycling team bike and a helmet signed by the entire team!

The event drew numerous UnitedHealth Group business partners as well as UnitedHealth Group senior leaders and UHCCF board members.

The foundation thanks the many contributors and volunteers who made this signature golf event such a success.

Your Dollars in Action

Zoe - Casa Grande, AZ

With a beaming smile and a bubbly presence, Zoe energizes the whole neighborhood in Casa Grande, AZ. Her hearing loss doesn’t stop her from talking with friends, studying her favorite subjects, playing sports and going to the movies. One of the nine-year-old’s most recent accomplishments includes casting in the musical Alice and Wonderland. Regardless of her condition, Zoe lights up every room she enters and inspires everyone she meets.

A few years ago, Zoe failed a hearing test at school and went to the doctor with her mom Nicola to confirm the results. She had bilateral tubes placed during a surgery, but they weren’t working properly. The doctor recommended another surgery to replace the tubes to improve her hearing and speech clarity. Prior to the surgery that a UHCCF grant helped to fund, Zoe faced challenges that delayed her day-to-day activities.

Zoe’s family began the search for an opportunity that could assist with her medical expenses. Nicola learned about UHCCF from a newsletter article she saw while at work. She began to investigate the eligibility requirements for the grant and found it to be an opportunity that would benefit the whole family.

“The UHCCF grant has been fantastic!” says Nicola. “The financial aid the grant provided gave our family one less thing to worry about and helped Zoe’s everyday life.”

Jacob - NJ

There’s never a dull moment with Jacob around. One of five children, Jacob loves spending time with his siblings, and even though he was diagnosed with an insufficiency that impedes his speech, Jacob is never lacking for words.

Jacob’s doctor saw the first signs of his impediment after a test revealed a bend in Jacob’s sound and speech patterns. Jacob did not have access to a school speech therapist who specialized in articulation and his frustration grew when he could not communicate with his friends and family.

Sharon, Jacob’s mom, began to search online for a solution that could ease the financial pressures of therapy and leave a permanent impact on her son. Along the way she discovered the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation.

“We are very grateful for the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation,” says Sharon. “The grant really helped us out and we have seen such an improvement in Jacob’s speech; he is so much happier!”

Since receiving the grant and the intensive therapy, Jacob began communicating confidently and producing new sounds –and he continues to make strides every day.

Lilliann - St. Petersburg, FL

Three-year-old Lilliann is like any other young girl in St. Petersburg, Florida. She loves playing house with her twin sister Riley and their baby dolls, and during the summer, she enjoys taking a dip in the pool for her swim lessons. However, unlike other children, over the past two years Lilliann and her family have worked together to overcome her cerebral palsy.

Born ten weeks early, Lilliann suffered from a Level 3 brain bleed that led to a later diagnosis of cerebral palsy.  Diagnosed when she was 1 years old, Lilliann was faced with many challenges due to the stiffness in her arms and legs.

While working with Florida’s Early Steps Infants program, Lilliann’s mother, Amber, found out about the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation.

"It was incredibly stressful wondering how the medical bills would be paid" says Amber. "When the letter came in the mail saying we got the grant, I could feel the tension melt away from my shoulders, it was so relieving!”

With the help of a UHCCF grant, the family could now afford Lilliann’s surgeries and physical therapy, which have made great differences. With her most recent surgery, Lilliann can now walk around with the help of a walker, and is all over the house!

Tyler - St. Cloud, MN

Fifteen-year-old Tyler enjoys hitting the gym and spending time with his family in St. Cloud, Minnesota. With his sights set on the next step and his nose in the books, Tyler looks forward to college where he can study to become a geologist. The eldest of four children, Tyler is independent and eager to learn.

At age 4, Tyler’s mom Jill noticed her son experiencing distinct symptoms that were later diagnosed by his doctor as new-onset diabetes. This diagnosis initiated a learning process for the whole family, especially Tyler, who continues to face the future with optimism.

The costs associated with Tyler’s condition affected the whole family, but with his grandparents close by, Tyler was not short of emotional support. Bob, Tyler’s grandpa, searched for grant opportunities online and discovered UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation.

“The grant gave us financial freedom,” says Jill. “Tyler’s health always comes first and with the UHCCF grant we were able to better support his medical needs and overall well-being.”