Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana has issued its yearly call for nominations for the Angel Award® with a deadline of May 13. The Angel Award, presented by the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, annually recognizes eight Louisianians who do extraordinary volunteer work to improve the lives of our state’s at-risk children.
Because making a difference in Louisiana’s communities requires time and money, the Angel Award includes a $20,000 grant from the Foundation for each honoree’s charity.
“The Angel Award gives the recipients and their organizations much-needed resources that let them continue their important work with kids who need it most,” says Christy Reeves, the Foundation’s executive director.
“Blue Cross has been committed to the health and well-being of our state since we were founded in 1934. We’re proud to support these men and women who invest so much time and energy to improve the health and well-being of children.”
Since its creation in 1995, the Angel Award program has helped to identify and honor more than 100 outstanding individuals and given more than $1 million to their designated charities. The 2010 honorees included a Shreveport man who helps provide after-school math and reading tutoring to local children, a Lake Charles woman who brings affordable therapy to autistic and developmentally delayed children in southwest Louisiana and the Baton Rouge-based founder of the Cinderella Project, which collects donated prom dresses for high-school students in financial need.
Angel Award honorees have come from all walks of life and have ranged in age from 17 to 93. What they all have in common is going far beyond the call of duty to improve the lives of Louisiana children – the future of our state. The Blue Cross Foundation encourages anyone who knows an angel for kids to nominate him or her for the 2011 Angel Award.
The deadline for nominations is May 13, 2011. To nominate someone or learn more about the Angel Award, visit www.bcbsla.com and click on About Blue, then Company, then The Angel Award. Angel Award honorees are selected by a panel of past recipients based on their efforts to enhance a child’s life physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually. The volunteer work may be done individually or through churches, schools or civic organizations.
The Blue Cross Foundation website allows visitors to review nomination criteria and research information on hundreds of past Angel Award honorees by name, year of nomination or geographical location. The site also features a convenient online nomination form.
Nomination packets are also available by calling toll-free 1.888.219.BLUE (1.888.219.2583) or e‑mailingAngel.Award@bcbsla.com. Supplemental information in support of the nomination, including testimonial letters, brochures, news articles, photos and videos, is encouraged but cannot be returned.
About the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation is building a healthier Louisiana through community outreach and charitable giving. The Angel Award is one of two signature programs. The other, Smart Bodies, is an interactive education program to prevent childhood obesity. In addition, Blue Cross contributes nearly $2 million annually in financial aid to various non-profit organizations throughout the state that contribute to health, education and the overall quality of life in our communities. When we put dollars into Blue Cross communities, it makes Louisiana a better place for everyone. The Foundation is funded solely through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana
Founded in New Orleans in 1934, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) is the oldest and largest Louisiana-based health insurance company. BCBSLA is a not-for-profit, fully taxed mutual insurer, owned by policyholders and governed by a local Board of Directors. It is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
The company provides group and individual health insurance plans, life and disability insurance, group voluntary products and administrative services to more than 1.3 million members. With headquarters in Baton Rouge and eight district offices, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana employs more than 1,800 Louisianians who are committed to improving the lives of its customers by providing them with health guidance and affordable access to quality care.
Learn more on the company’s website at www.bcbsla.comor on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bluecrossla. Follow Blue Cross on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BCBSLA and CEO Mike Reitz atwww.twitter.com/MikeReitzCEO.