LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--At the 2018 Amgen Tour of California, the Rally Cycling team will ride six custom-designed, hand-painted Diamondback Podium bikes, each inspired by a child who has received a grant from the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF). The bikes, donated by Rally Cycling, are being auctioned online during the tour with all proceeds benefiting UHCCF.
Each custom-artwork bike, which represents UHCCF and its dedication to helping children and families, can be viewed and is available for bidding online beginning Monday, May 7, through Saturday, May 19, at rallyte.am/InspiredBikes3. The goal is to raise more than $75,000 to support funding of UHCCF medical grants, which are awarded to families who need financial assistance to help pay for their children’s health care treatments, services or equipment not covered, or not fully covered, by their commercial health insurance plans.
The art for each of the six one-of-a-kind pro-cycling bikes was inspired by the imagination of a UHCCF grant recipient who shared with the Rally Cycling design team some of their favorite things and future aspirations. Those special stories were used to create a theme and custom name for each bike in honor of each child.
“These beautifully designed bikes are truly inspiring and represent the important work of the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation to help children access medical care to improve their health,” said UHCCF President Matt Peterson. “We are honored to partner with Rally Cycling to raise greater awareness about our child medical grant program so more families apply and receive grants.”
Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded more than 15,000 grants valued at over $40 million to children and their families across the United States for treatments associated with medical conditions such as cancer, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, diabetes, hearing loss, autism, cystic fibrosis, Down syndrome, ADHD and cerebral palsy. Qualifying UHCCF families can receive up to $5,000 per grant with a lifetime maximum of $10,000 per child to help pay for medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapy, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids.
“It means a lot to our team to be able to ride 600-750 miles in North America’s premier cycling event on bikes painted from the imagination of these awesome kids, recognizing them with every pedal they take,” said David Ko, president and COO, Rally Health. “We encourage anyone who loves art, cycling and helping children live healthier lives to bid on these unique bikes and support the important work of the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation.”
The 2018 edition of the Amgen Tour of California will be the 10th time the team has competed in the event and its third under the banner of title sponsor Rally Health, a digital health company that develops online and mobile solutions that make it easy for people to take charge of their health. Rally’s products encourage simple activities that can help people improve and maintain their health, find care, shop for benefits, choose the right doctor at the right price, and improve their overall well-being.
Six members of the Rally Cycling team will ride these professional-level bikes throughout the Amgen Tour of California, and will showcase them prior to the start of the tour and along the route in the various host cities. The bikes, riders and six children represented are:
- Gladiator: ridden by Brandon McNulty for Lucas, 10, Mechanicsville, Mass.
- Classic Cruiser: ridden by Evan Huffman for Anna, 8, Spanish Fork, Utah
- Great Outdoors: ridden by Erica Allar for Kate, 9, Spanish Fork, Utah
- WW2: ridden by Adam de Vos for Juliet, 10, Seekonk, Mass.
- Gymnastics: ridden by Sara Bergen for Madison, 7, Conneaut, Ohio
- Hip-Hop Dance: ridden by Robin Carpenter for Tatiana, 10, Las Vegas, Nev.
“Rally Cycling’s support of the UHCCF is inspiring for all of the riders,” said Huffman. “Knowing these bikes are being auctioned off for such a good cause provides extra motivation for us and something our entire team will always remember.”
The 2018 edition of the Amgen Tour of California starts in Long Beach Sunday, May 13, and heads north through the Golden State ending in front of the state capitol in Sacramento Sunday, May 19. The seven-day stage race includes two mountain-top finishes, a time trial, and flat and rolling stages to ensure a tough and exciting event.
To bid on one of the bikes as part of the online auction and learn more about each bike and inspired story, visit rallyte.am/InspiredBikes3. For more information on UHCCF or to apply for a grant visit www.UHCCF.org.
About UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation
The
UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable
organization that provides medical grants to help children gain access
to health-related services not covered, or not fully covered, by their
parents’ commercial health insurance plan. Families can receive up to
$5,000 annually per child ($10,000 lifetime maximum per child), and do
not need to have insurance through UnitedHealthcare to be eligible.
UHCCF was founded in 1999. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded more than
15,000 grants valued at over $40 million to children and their families
across the United States. UHCCF’s funding is provided by contributions
from individuals, corporations and UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH)
employees. To apply for a grant, donate or learn more, please visit www.uhccf.org.
About Rally Health, Inc.
Rally
Health, Inc. is a consumer-centric digital health company that makes it
easy for individuals to take charge of their health and collaborates
with health plans, care providers, and employers to engage consumers.
The company’s flagship offering is Rally®, a digital health platform
featuring a suite of online and mobile solutions that help people manage
their health and health care needs: Rally EngageSM focuses on
personalized health and well-being support; Rally Choice® is a health
benefits marketplace; and Rally Connect® offers care provider search and
cost transparency. More than 30 million consumers have access to the
Rally platform through more than 200,000 employers, and payers such as
UnitedHealthcare, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Health
Alliance, and others. With offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco,
Chicago, Minneapolis and Denver, the team behind Rally HealthSM
has been working together since 2010 to transform the consumer health
industry. For more information, please visit www.RallyHealth.com.
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