Record Achievements for Girls on the Run Greater Tampa Bay

Photos (L to R): Tampa Bay Rays’ mascot, Raymond, gets the 5K race underway. Participants joyously cross the finish line. Venice, Florida’s Garden Elementary School girls and coaches celebrate UnitedHealthcare’s financial support for the 5K race as well as after-school program scholarships, of which nine went to girls at Garden Elementary.

UnitedHealthcare’s partnership with Girls on the Run Greater Tampa Bay helped set new records in program and 5K Celebration Race participation, with 452 third through fifth grade girls from 29 Sarasota and Tampa region elementary schools completing the 10-week training program and 5K “graduation” race.

Presented by UnitedHealthcare, the Girls on the Run 5K race took place earlier this month at Poynter Park in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla. A record turnout of more than 600 additional runners and walkers joined the 452 girls at the race, bringing the total to more than 1,000 runners and walkers, who collectively helped raise over $7,500 for the Girls on the Run Greater Tampa Bay program.

In addition to serving at the presenting sponsor for the 5K Race, UnitedHealthcare also provided funding for 20 training program scholarships, including financial support for one entire school’s participants, Clair Mel Elementary School in Tampa.

“The UnitedHealthcare scholarships have been instrumental in the growth of our program,” said Laura Moore, Council Director for Girls on the Run Greater Tampa Bay. “Without these funds, many lower income schools and girls would not have the opportunity to participate in what has proven to be a life-changing and enhancing experience for all the girls and their coaches,” Moore added.

The race and its proceeds commemorate and help fund the Girls on the Run training program in the Greater Tampa Bay Area, which has grown from six participating schools in 2013 to 29 schools in Sarasota, Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco Counties for the spring 2017 program.

About Girls on the Run Greater Tampa Bay

Girls on the Run is a transformational physical activity based positive youth development program for girls in the third through fifth grades. The girls are taught life skills through dynamic interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Girls on the Run Greater Tampa Bay is an Affiliate Council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of 200+ locations across the United States and Canada. For more information, visit www.girlsontheruntampabay.org.

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 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.