Wellmark Foundation Grant to Expand Diabetes Education and Prevention Program for Children

April 16, 2007

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Contact:
Angela Feig
515.245.4551
feigab@wellmark.com

(Des Moines, Iowa) – A $35,300 grant from The Wellmark Foundation will allow the YMCA of Greater Des Moines to expand a diabetes education and prevention program for children to the South Suburban YMCA. Trim Kids, which was funded in part through a previous Wellmark Foundation mini-grant, has been successful at the Riverfront YMCA and John R. Grubb YMCA in Des Moines.

"Trim Kids is a proven weight loss program offering individualized support to children and their families," says Vicky Foresman, executive director of the South Suburban YMCA. "Trim Kids focuses on specific needs of overweight and obese children, teaching children and their families how to live a healthier lifestyle, lose weight and fight complications from being overweight, including type 2 diabetes," says Foresman.

According to Foresman, the 12-week program includes dietary intervention, physical exercise, and counseling to comprehensively address the underlying issues of youth obesity and to achieve long-term success. The program will target 90 obese children who live in the community surrounding the South Suburban YMCA, as well as their families, friends and classmates through advocacy efforts.

Trim Kids is a collaborative effort of the YMCA of Greater Des Moines, Mercy Medical Center, Iowa State University Extension, Polk County Health Department and the Des Moines Public Schools. For more information about Trim Kids, contact Foresman at vicky.foresman@dmymca.org or (515) 285-0444.

The Wellmark Foundation has provided nearly $12 million to fund 350 health-related grants in Iowa and South Dakota since 1997, including $574,147 this cycle. "The Wellmark Foundation collaborates with non-profit and governmental organizations in Iowa and South Dakota to build healthier communities," says Matthew McGarvey, director of The Wellmark Foundation. "Trim Kids has been a very successful collaborative effort of the Greater Des Moines YMCA and its many partners. We are pleased to support the expansion of this diabetes education and prevention program for youth in our community," says McGarvey.

The Wellmark Foundation is a private, non-profit foundation created by Wellmark, Inc., doing business as Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa. Visit The Wellmark Foundation's Web site at www.wellmark.com/foundation for a list of grant recipients and grant application instructions. Applications for the next round of community responsive grants are due June 19, 2007. Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield and The Wellmark Foundation are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.