Tampa's Walk for Wishes raises over $180k

The combined efforts of Team UnitedHealthcare and Mala Murthy (kneeling) produced the top fundraising team for the Walk for Wishes, with donations to-date totaling more than $180,000 for Make A Wish.

Powered by the generosity of Team UnitedHealthcare (UHC), more than $180,000 was raised at the 2nd Annual Make a Wish Foundation’s Walk for Wishes on Sat., Apr. 11, 2015.

Mala Murthy, UnitedHealthNetwork, was the highest individual fundraiser, totaling more than $6,800.

The annual walk, which helps raise money to grant wishes to children with life threatening illnesses, raised more than $180,000, enough to provide 25 children with a wish-come-true experience.

Spearheaded by UnitedHealthcare’s Vice President of Network Management for Tampa/Panhandle and Walk for Wishes Chair, Dennis Leon, Team UnitedHealthcare’s fundraising efforts helped the event near its goal of a total of $200,000 raised.

Donations are being accepted through May 31, 2015. Donations can be made at https://cnfl.wish.org/ways-to-help/giving/donate

“It was a tremendous effort on behalf of Team UnitedHealthcare, Mala and other UHC staff to help raise more than $10,500 for Make A Wish,” said Dennis Leon, Vice President of Network Management for UnitedHealthcare and Walk for Wishes Chair. “By keeping donations open through May 31st, we are hoping to reach our goal of $200,000, enough to grant close to 30 wishes for local children,” Leon added.

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish® grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions and enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children.

Kids say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family. Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s charities, serving children in every community in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000 volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish to someone in the country every 38 minutes. It has granted more than 240,000 wishes since its inception in 1980, including more than 14,000 in 2013 alone. For more information, visit www.wish.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.