UniCare Foundation Grant to Support Fitness, Nutrition at Boys & Girls Club of Springfield
SPRINGFIELD — To help create healthy habits in kids, the UniCare Foundation has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield (SBGC) to support the club’s Triple Play program. The foundation is the philanthropic arm of UniCare, a Massachusetts-based health company.
“We believe it’s important to equip kids with the skills needed to overcome barriers and grow into productive, caring adults who make healthy decisions,” said David Morales, general manager of UniCare. “This is what it’s all about for us at UniCare: making a difference in the lives of the people in the communities we serve. And I can’t think of a better way to do that than to encourage Springfield kids to get active and help them develop healthy habits that will last a lifetime.”
Triple Play is a 10-week wellness program designed to help youth create opportunities to take charge of their personal health and wellness, promoting the importance of physical activity and proper nutrition through the program’s three components: mind, body, and soul. The Boys & Girls Club of Springfield will use the grant funding to engage approximately 50 kids ages 6-12 in sports activities that promote fitness, sportsmanship, and healthy habits.
“We are excited to partner with the UniCare Foundation to offer youth innovative ways to health and nutrition awareness,” said Vincent Borello, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield. “The Triple Play program is a fun way for youth to stay healthy through exercise and healthy eating habits. Together, the SBGC and UniCare Foundation will give any child a path to healthy life skills.”
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno added that “I’m very grateful to UniCare General Manager David Morales and his team for stepping up to provide such a generous grant to our Springfield Boys and Girls Club from the UniCare Foundation in support of the club’s Triple Play program, which benefits the personal health and wellness of our youth.”
The UniCare Foundation’s grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield is part of a $30,000 commitment to support three Boys & Girls Clubs in Massachusetts. In addition to the Springfield club, the foundation awarded a grant to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell to support its Healthy Meals program, which provides fresh food items and grab-and-go meals to more than 50 families each week. The foundation also awarded a grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston to provide healthy snacks and meals for club kids and to support its Healthy Development program, which aims to help 700 kids make and model healthy physical, social, and emotional choices.