Press Releases: 2012

AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation, KMHP and Wells Fargo Team Up to Build New Playground

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Planned for Monday, June 11

In an effort to combat childhood obesity and give Philadelphia children a safe place to play, employees from AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation, Keystone Mercy Health Plan and Wells Fargo volunteered their time to build a new playground at Philadelphia's Chester A. Arthur Elementary School on Friday, June 1.
 
The playground will officially open at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 11 after a special ribbon cutting ceremony. Leaders from Chester Arthur, AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation, Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Wells Fargo and Friends of Chester Arthur, a non-profit organization formed by community members committed to partnering with the staff, teachers and students to foster a robust learning environment, will speak at the event, which will take place at the school, located at 20th and Catharine Streets in Philadelphia.

“It takes a village to raise a child, and we’re deeply grateful to the employees of AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation, Keystone Mercy Health Plan and Wells Fargo, as well as all of the donors who helped us improve our village,” said Renee Musgrove, principal of Chester A. Arthur Elementary School. “Our students and the thousands of children in the neighborhood now have a safe place to engage in healthy, physical activity.”
 
The playground is the second built by AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation since its founding last year. The Foundation’s Safe Playground Program was borne out of growing concerns around increasing rates of childhood obesity and issues regarding the lack of safe play spaces available to children in disadvantaged communities.

According to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, nearly 60 percent of Philadelphia children from ages 6 to 11 are overweight or obese. One of the reasons often cited for this health crisis is the lack of safe places for children to engage in physical activity.

"It pains me to know that for the 10 cities with the nation's highest obesity rates, the direct costs connected with obesity and obesity-related diseases are roughly $50 million per 100,000 residents,” said Philadelphia Councilman Kenyatta Johnson. “There is no doubt we can use that kind of money for other things, like building more playgrounds like the one AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation, Keystone Mercy Health Plan and Wells Fargo volunteered to build at Chester A. Arthur Elementary School. It has been proven time and time again that healthy and active children become healthy, active and happy adults. Let's keep up the good work."

Maria Pajil Battle, president of AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation, said, “This public and private partnership demonstrates the opportunity to give Philadelphia children a safe, accessible place to exercise. These playgrounds help to place our children on the path to good health at an early age.”

Earlier this year, the Foundation built a playground in Columbia, SC and plans to build playgrounds in York, PA and New Orleans, LA later this year. 

About the AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation
AmeriHealth Mercy Foundation was established in 2011 as a 501(c)(3) public charity. Dedicated to implementing health initiatives that foster disease prevention and that improve the quality of life for individuals, families, neighborhoods and communities, the foundation is devoted to serving the needs of America’s most vulnerable people. For more information, visit www.amerihealthmercyfoundation.org.

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. We want to help all of our customers succeed financially and create long-term economic growth and quality of life for everyone in our communities. In 2011, the Company invested a record $213.5 million in grants in 19,000 nonprofits, and team members contributed more than 1.5 million volunteer hours around the country. For more information, please visit: www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr.

About Keystone Mercy Health Plan

Keystone Mercy Health Plan, a member of the AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies, is a Medical Assistance (Medicaid) managed care health plan serving more than 300,000 Medical Assistance recipients in southeastern Pennsylvania. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Keystone Mercy is a mission-driven company dedicated to helping members get care, stay well and build healthy communities. For more information about Keystone Mercy Health Plan, please visit www.keystonemercy.com.

For more information, contact Keystone Mercy at 215-937-8648.