News
American Specialty Health Donates Over $46,000 to Y-ME’s 2006 Walk to Empower
SAN DIEGO (June 27, 2006) – American Specialty Health (ASH) employees and their families and friends joined in the 2006 Walk to Empower on Mother’s Day to support the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization and its mission to ensure that no one faces breast cancer alone.
The second annual Walk to Empower was held in San Diego’s Mission Bay Park. Walkers in San Diego joined forces with nearly 40,000 supporters in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Miami, Sacramento, Seattle, Tulsa, and Washington, D.C. to raise more than $6 million to help fund Y-ME’s educational workshops, 24-hour counseling service, and other projects. Y-ME’s programs are offered free of charge to all who need them.
The 185 members of the ASH community who participated in the Walk contributed over $46,000 to Y-ME. In addition to collecting pledges and donating their own money, ASH Walkers raised funds in a variety of creative ways; the most popular events included a car wash, book and bake sales, and an employee talent show.
ASH provided incentives for employees based on the level of donations they raised, ranging from talking pedometers to paid time off. Family members and friends were also eligible to receive incentives: ASH awarded non-employees a $50 gift card for each $500 raised. All Walkers also received a unique team T-shirt designed by ASH.
Reflecting the wide reach of breast cancer, many ASH employees and their loved ones have been affected by this disease. This year’s Walk to Empower team was led by ASH wellness director Brenda Jensen, who is herself a breast cancer survivor.
“The services Y-ME provides every day play an important role in supporting people who need help now and cannot wait for a breast cancer cure. I am tremendously pleased to have had the opportunity to lead ASH’s Walk to Empower team this year as we raised funds and walked together to help Y-ME provide these valuable services,” Jensen said.
“Witnessing how so many people came together to support Y-ME was an empowering and unforgettable experience, as was seeing how my fellow employees and their families and friends pitched in to help make this event a success.”
ASH was a presenting-level corporate sponsor of the San Diego Walk to Empower, and ASH chairman, president, and chief executive officer George DeVries served as corporate chairman of the 2006 San Diego event. Said DeVries, “ ASH is pleased to support Y-ME’s worthwhile outreach and education efforts at a corporate level, and we’re extremely proud of the generosity and spirit of our employees and their loved ones.”
“One out of every eight women in the U.S.—and many men, too—will face breast cancer in their lifetime. This is a disease that affects hundreds of thousands of people across the country, including those close to us and, often, ourselves,” DeVries continued. “ASH is committed to doing whatever we can to reach out to and empower these individuals through our support of Y-ME’s programs and services.”
The San Diego affiliate of the Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization was established in 1992.
American Specialty Health and its subsidiaries comprise the nation's leading specialty benefits organization for complementary health care benefits, affinity discount, health education, and wellness programs. Based in San Diego, ASH has over 500 employees and administers benefit programs for more than 12 million members and wellness programs for more than 500,000 members. Visit ASH online at ASHCompanies.com or call 800.848.3555.