For immediate release: December 19, 2005
Contact: Leigh Tofferi - (802) 371-3205

Vermont Caring Foundation Formed by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont

Grants Will Go To Programs For Children and Teenagers

Berlin – A new charitable foundation has been formed to raise and distribute money to support health improvement programs in Vermont, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont announced today.

The Vermont Caring Foundation will focus on health-related programs that benefit children and teenagers. The foundation, formed this year as an affiliate of BCBSVT, expects to award more than $50,000 annually to programs and organizations involved in health education and improvement and disease prevention.

“As Vermont’s only local, independent health plan, we feel a strong responsibility to help support the institutions and initiatives that are engaged in efforts to improve the health of our citizens, particularly children and adolescents,” said William R. Milnes, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont.

“As the state’s largest health benefits and financing company, we have the resources and infrastructure to begin carrying out that responsibility. Through Vermont Caring Foundation, we will be able to support programs that improve the health status of thousands of Vermonters.”

The Vermont Caring Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization, formed as an affiliate of BCBSVT. Its mission is to improve the health of Vermonters by raising and distributing funds to state-based, nonprofit programs and organizations involved in health-related activities.

Formed this summer with a $25,000 contribution from BCBSVT, the Foundation will raise funds both through direct solicitations and through fundraising activities and events. Fundraising solicitations already are under way.

Applications for grants from the Foundation will be reviewed by the Foundation’s seven-member Board of Directors, all of whom are Vermonters. (A list of board members is attached to this release.) Applicants must be Vermont-based organizations whose primary work is in the areas of health education and promotion and disease prevention.

The Vermont Caring Foundation will begin accepting grant applications immediately, and expects to award its first round of funding early in 2006.

Administrative services for the Foundation are being provided by BCBSVT as an in-kind contribution, maximizing the use of the Foundation’s resources for direct contributions to worthwhile programs.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is the state's oldest and largest private health insurer, providing coverage for about 180,000 Vermonters. It employs over 350 Vermonters at its headquarters in Berlin and branch office in Williston, and offers group and individual health plans to Vermonters. More information about Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is available on the Internet at www.bcbsvt.com. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont is an independent corporation operating under a license with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.

For more information contact Kevin Goddard, Vice President of External Affairs at 802-371-3225 or goddardk@bcbsvt.com.

VERMONT CARING FOUNDATION
BOARD MEMBERS & OFFICERS
As of December 1, 2005


Board Members

Seth Bongartz
Executive Director
Hildene, Inc.

Kevin Goddard
Vice President
Vermont Caring Foundation
Vice President of External Affairs
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont

Deborah Granquist
Board Chair, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont

Robert Griffin, MD
Senior Medical Director
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont

William Milnes, Jr.
President, Treasurer, and Board Chair, Vermont Caring Foundation
President and CEO
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont

Karen Nystrom-Meyer
Vice President, State and Federal Relations
University of Vermont

Hilton Wick
Retired

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