UnitedHealthcare and Girls Inc. Sarasota County partner for Girls on the Run program and 5K graduation race

photo: The Venice Elementary Girls on the Run team celebrates their 5K race finishes and schoolmate Emma Mogford’s (3rd from left, front row) first place finish in 24:25. The Girls on the Run graduation race took place at the 29th Annual Mote Turtle Run on Siesta Key Beach.

UnitedHealthcare’s partnership with Girls Incorporated of Sarasota County and its 2015 Girls on the Run spring training program culminated on Sat., Apr. 4, 2015 at the 29th Annual Mote Marine Turtle Run 5K race on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Fla.

The two three-month programs, which take place in the spring and fall, offer girls in grades three through eight a life-changing, prevention program that reinforces the mission of Girls on the Run -- “to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.”

More than 30 girls from three local Sarasota County Schools, including Garden, Venice and Bay Haven Elementary, participated in the spring training program and race, all of whom were provided with special UnitedHealthcare goodie bag items including easy grip water bottles, pens and wipes. Through UnitedHealthcare’s support and the addition of other community investors, the fall program is expected to expand to six schools and include parent and child training and wellness initiatives.

About Girls on the Run

The Girls on the Run program instills self-esteem through health education, life skills development, mentoring relationships and physical training – all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff and the community. Girls on the Run of Sarasota County is an affiliate of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of over 150 locations across the United States and Canada. For more information visit girlsincsrq.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 more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves 45 million people in health benefits and 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.