Volunteerism

BCBSIL employees upped their volunteer efforts in 2009, logging more than 5,900 hours of personal volunteer time. BCBSIL also sponsored and had record employee participation in local fundraisers including:

• American Heart Association HeartWalk: More than 600 employees participated in the HeartWalk raising tens of thousands of dollars for the American Heart Association.
• March of Dimes March for Babies: BCBSIL employees have participated in the March for Babies for many years and in 2009 won the Diamond  from March of Dimes for their volunteer efforts.
• Several American Cancer Society walks: Walk and Roll has been another ongoing volunteer activity for employees and their families who raised funds, walked, bicycled and rollerbladed to support the cause.
• Chicago Cares Serve-a-Thon: BCBSIL brought 280 volunteers to paint two Chicago Public Schools as part of this day of service.

As part of continuing efforts to bring health and wellness messages to a wide variety of communities, BCBSIL also had a presence at diverse events throughout the state, sponsoring the Health and Wellness Village at the African Festival of the Arts, participating in several cultural parades over the summer, and going to the Illinois State Fair at which it sponsored a  bicycle safety clinic for children, and provided health screenings to attendees. The BCBSIL mascot, Blue Bear, often makes appearances at these events.

In addition, BCBSIL encourages and supports staff members serving on the boards of 501(c)(3) organizations and offers matching dollars to organizations where employees log volunteer hours.

Questions? Email Shelley_Long@bcbsil.com, Public Affairs Coordinator.