UnitedHealthcare's Girls on the Run scholarships give the gift of health and confidence - so every girl who wants to run can

Photo captions: (first) UnitedHealthcare’s (UHC) partnership with Girls on the Run (GOTR) included up to 16 full tuition training program scholarships for Sarasota County schoolgirls so that every girl who wanted to run could. (second & third) As show of appreciation, the girls created and signed a thank you card for UHC, which they presented prior to their “graduation” run at the Run for the Turtles 5K on Siesta Key Beach. (four through six) In addition to the scholarships, UHC also partnered with Team New Balance members to cheer and support the slower runners and walkers to the finish line. The last GOTR finisher, Jenna, got an added boost from the Team as well as crowd of spectators who cheered her to the finish line. “She was glowing from all the attention,” said Moore. “I know this was a life-changing experience for her.”

A partnership between Girls on the Run Greater Tampa Bay (GOTR) and UnitedHealthcare (UHC) helped 40 elementary school girls from Garden, Englewood and Venice Elementary Schools in Sarasota County, Fla. get to the finish line on Sat., April 2, 2016, where they “graduated” from their 10-week training program at the 30th Annual Run for the Turtles 5K on Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, Fla.

As part of the partnership, UHC donated 16 full 10-week training program scholarships for 2016, which are being distributed to girls based on financial need over the spring and fall training programs. In addition to helping the girls prepare to finish a 5K race, the after-school training program also included life skill development and interactive sessions.

Joined by several hundred other runners and walkers at the Run for the Turtles, the girls and their running buddies were cheered on and supported by participants as well as “UnitedHealthcare Sparkle Runners,” comprised of members of Team New Balance, a local elite running team, who circled back around the course to help slower runners and walkers to the finish line.

“At Girls on the Run, we talk a lot about having an Attitude of Gratitude,” said GOTR Council Director Laura Moore. “We all thank UnitedHealthcare for being amazing and strong supporters of Girls on the Run,” Moore added.

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 3rd through 6th 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.