Tampa Bay Buccaneers, UnitedHealthcare Employees Help Children Learn About Produce Gardening

Tampa Bay Buccaneers players and staff, and UnitedHealthcare employees today planted “Learning Gardens” at seven Title 1 grade schools in Tampa. Learning Gardens are produce gardens that enable students to help plant and nurture a garden, and learn about and sample new fruits and vegetables.

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers players and staff, and UnitedHealthcare employees today planted "Learning Gardens" at seven Title 1 grade schools in Tampa. Learning Gardens are produce gardens that enable students to help plant and nurture a garden, and learn about and sample new fruits and vegetables (Photo: Ray Collins).

The Learning Gardens were planted at Buccaneers Academies’ Cleveland, Davis, Kenly, Mort, Tampa Bay Boulevard and Twin Lakes elementary schools and Winthrop Charter School. At each of these schools the Learning Gardens will be used to educate students about where their food comes from, and introduce them to new fruits and vegetables.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Buccaneers to help Florida schoolchildren learn more about healthy foods, and improve their health and well-being,” said T. David Lewis, CEO, UnitedHealthcare of Central North Florida.

This project supports the Buccaneers Academies initiative, an educational effort that offers more than 12,000 Tampa-area students incentive-based programs and monthly challenges that provide fun, engaging and motivating opportunities to learn. Throughout the school year, each Buccaneers Academy implements lesson plans that encourage good behavior, reading, writing and healthy lifestyles.

“It is extremely rewarding to team up with UnitedHealthcare, which – like the Buccaneers – is deeply committed to the students and schools of Central Florida,” said Glazer Family Foundation Co-President Darcie Glazer Kassewitz. “The ‘Learning Gardens’ program will provide each participating Buccaneers Academies school with a growing classroom that can be used to demonstrate healthy food choices and leave a lasting, positive impact on children.”

Since September 2014, the Buccaneers and UnitedHealthcare have supplied Learning Gardens to 14 Tampa-area elementary schools.

This project is the latest in UnitedHealthcare’s “Do Good. Live Well.” employee volunteer initiative, whose mission is to prevent hunger and obesity, inspire service and encourage volunteerism. For more information about the benefits of volunteering and to find local opportunities to get involved, visit www.DoGoodLiveWell.org. Follow @DoGoodLiveWell on Twitter or “like” Do Good. Live Well. on Facebook.

UnitedHealthcare serves more than 3 million people in Florida with a network of 255 hospitals and other health facilities and more than 42,000 physicians and other care providers statewide.

About the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play an active role in community development through a variety of youth health and education initiatives, family outreach, and military support involving players, coaches, cheerleaders, alumni, and staff. Through team donations, engaging outreach initiatives, NFL programs, and appearances, nearly 1,000 nonprofit organizations benefit from the team's charitable endeavors throughout the year. To learn more about what the Buccaneers are doing in the community, visit www.buccaneers.com/community.

About UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers, military service members, retirees and their families, and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 850,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. UnitedHealthcare is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company. For more information, visit UnitedHealthcare at www.uhc.com or follow @myUHC on Twitter.

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