The Ripken Foundation partnered with UnitedHealthcare to host a wellness clinic for youth at SpringSpirit Youth Development Park in Texas. Ripken Foundation staff were joined by UnitedHealthcare volunteers to run three different stations at the clinic: fitness, nutrition, and mental wellness. These are all critical pillars of health, and this clinic assisted us in educating youth on healthy living in a fun and active way. Chris Calloway, Ryan Terry, Pearce Pegross, and Randy Fuller, who are former NFL players, participated alongside Houston police officers to act as the kids' mentors/coaches for the day. This gave the kids positive role models to help reinforce our healthy lifestyles message.
When asked why UnitedHealthcare assists with programming like the Ripken Foundation's, UnitedHealthcare of Texas Vice President Deb Farley said, “Many people think about UnitedHealthcare as being an insurance company. We like to identify ourselves as a health care company. Empowering Health grants allows us to provide financial resources to important organizations in our community.” she continued, "These organizations are important to promoting nutrition, behavioral health resources, and other types of resources in our communities."
Read more about the clinic and our partnership with UnitedHealthcare here.