FAIRFAX, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UnitedHealthcare will be the presenting sponsor of two 5K races hosted by Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia (GOTR NOVA), and will also be the “Front Runner” sponsor of participating students at 10 Fairfax County schools.
The two 5K races, held in May and November, are the culminating events of the Spring and Fall 2012 Girls on the Run seasons, where girls in grades 3 through 8 learn life-long skills to improve their emotional and physical health by training to either walk or run in a 5K race. Nearly 4,000 girls are expected to participate in the program that’s designed to provide pre-adolescent girls with the necessary tools to embrace their individual strengths as they enter middle school and high school.
The first race – the Girls on the Run Spring 5K presented by UnitedHealthcare – will take place at George Mason University’s Fairfax campus Sunday, May 20. The second race – the Girls on the Run Fall 5K Presented by UnitedHealthcare – is currently scheduled for Nov. 18 at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Va. The public is encouraged to come and cheer thousands of girls who are expected to participate.
UnitedHealthcare is also serving as the sponsor for the “Front Runner” event that allows girls in 10 additional Fairfax County schools to participate in Girls on the Run programs this year.
“The Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia events empower girls to become strong, healthy young women,” said Sandra B. Nichols, M.D., chief medical officer of the Northeast Region, UnitedHealthcare Clinical Services. “UnitedHealthcare shares Girls on the Run’s commitment to help build girls’ self-esteem, promote greater self-awareness, instill a sense of achievement, and adopt an active and healthier lifestyle.”
“UnitedHealthcare continues to be an outstanding advocate for the health and well-being of girls and their families throughout Northern Virginia,” said Catherine Keightley, executive director, GOTR NOVA. “We’re grateful to UnitedHealthcare for recognizing the power of our program as we actively promote healthy lifestyles. Thanks to their generous support, girls at 10 additional schools in Northern Virginia will now be able to participate in GOTR, and the nearly 4,000 girls and their families will benefit from UnitedHealthcare’s support of our seasonal 5K races.”
About Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia
Established in 2001, GOTR NOVA began its after school program with 27 girls. Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia is an after school program for girls in grades 3 through 8 that uses the power of running to help prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. GOTR NOVA fields almost 300 teams in schools all across Northern Virginia, reaching about 4,000 girls in each of the Spring and Fall sessions for a total of nearly 8,000 girls each year. The 10-week programs include twice-weekly lessons led by a corps of almost 600 volunteer female coaches, who help the girls train for the 5K walk/run, and also mentor the girls as they discuss important issues such as building positive self-esteem and adopting healthy lifestyles.
The organization’s goal is to engage the entire community to positively impact the health and well-being of the girls of Northern Virginia, and the coaches who serve them. For more information on Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia visit www.gotrnova.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 and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 650,000 physicians and care professionals and 5,000 hospitals nationwide. UnitedHealthcare serves more than 38 million people and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.