Aetna Awards $410,000 to Ohio Nonprofits

Aetna (NYSE: AET ) and the Aetna Foundation announced this week they are awarding $410,000 to Ohio nonprofits this year.



Many of these nonprofits focus on areas that are of specific interest to Aetna and its Foundation, such as disease prevention, obesity, and health screening.



“Helping people take control of their health is one of our primary goals at Aetna, so you’ll find much of what was funded directed toward that end,” said David Garratt, head of National Accounts for Aetna in Ohio.

The ten organizations receiving Aetna and Aetna Foundation grants in 2008 are:

*The American Red Cross, Greater Cleveland Chapter for its emergency preparedness program for senior adults: $125,000;

*The American Heart Association in Cleveland for its “Kids at Heart” Healthy Family Training Camp and Celebration Gala. The camp provides a fun way to educate and motivate families to become healthier and particularly targets childhood obesity. The gala spotlights and celebrates Cleveland organizations that are supporting this healthy family initiative and families that have committed to making healthy changes: $122,000 over two years;

*The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio’s “Walk, Rock and Run” program which is designed to unify communities across Northeast Ohio while raising awareness of diversity issues by helping students learn ways to become positive change agents in their schools. The Center works to eradicate bias, bigotry and racism through education and training. Participants in this program gain free entry into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center, and the Baseball Heritage Museum: $30,000;

*Boys & Girls Club of Cleveland’s “Kids Triple Play” program. This is a wellness program that demonstrates how eating right, keeping fit and forming positive relationships adds up to a healthy lifestyle: $25,000;

*Children’s Hunger Alliance in Columbus for its “Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities” program which is an educational program for kids in low-income neighborhoods teaching nutrition and physical fitness in a fun after-school setting: $25,000;

*The Keren Ermrich Foundation in Columbus for its “Healthy Kids on the Road of Life” program, which is a nutrition and physical activity education program designed to help prevent the onset of Type II diabetes in children enrolled in grades 2-5 at Columbus public schools: $25,000;

*LifeCare Alliance in Columbus for its “Take Control of Diabetes” program: $25,000. LifeCare Alliance is known for leading the community in identifying and delivering health and nutrition services to meet the community’s changing needs;

*University of Toledo Foundation’s “Families Working Together for Healthier Lifestyles” program. The long-term objective of this program is to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity in the Toledo metropolitan area. The program kicks off with a health fair. Attendees can submit their names for a drawing where ten families will be randomly chosen to participate in a 13-week healthy lifestyles program: $20,000;

*Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center for its “Regional Infant Hearing Program,” a family-focused outreach service for infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hearing. The goal is to make sure families receive complete information about all assistance and options available to them: $10,000 and;

*Kettering Medical Center’s “Heart to Heart Gala”, the proceeds of which go toward cardiac services and equipment for Kettering Medical Center patients: $3,000.

The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna Inc. Founded in 1972, the Foundation seeks to help build healthy communities by funding initiatives that improve the quality of life where our employees and customers work and live.

The Foundation’s giving is focused on health, diversity and employee community involvement, with broader programs in our home state of Connecticut. Since 1980, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have contributed over $334 million in grants, sponsorships and social investments. In 2007, Aetna and the Aetna Foundation contributed $24.5 million nationally.

Additional information about the Aetna Foundation is available at www.aetna.com/foundation.