VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY WITH BLUE
CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF MICHIGAN
The Retiree Association is
continuing their involvement with the BCBSM Volunteer Committees throughout
the state. You are needed to participate in these activities and volunteer
to ensure that the events are successful. Listed below are the updated 2004
events along with the BCBSM contacts. Give them a call and get involved!
WALKING WORKS
Walking Works is a new
approach to physical activity. Rather than asking you to set aside a big
part of your busy day for exercise, Walking Works encourages you to find
opportunities to walk more every day. This year walks will be held in all
Blues regions. Join Hall of Fame Broadcasting Legend Ernie Harwell at the
walk. Family members and friends are invited. Volunteers are needed
to help with registration and item distribution. To volunteer, e-mail
volunteer@bcbsm.com. or call the Hotline at 313-225-6212 or
1-800-733-2583.
Sunday, July 25, 2004 –
Oldsmobile Park, Lansing. The walk begins at the Park and runs through the
river walk area of the city. Guests are invited to stay for Lugnuts game
after the walk.
Sunday, August 1, 2004 –
Fifth Third Bank Ballpark, Grand Rapids. The walk begins in the north
parking lot and continues through the park. All walkers are invited to stay
for a Whitecaps game after the walk.
Saturday, October 9, 2004 –
Marquette. Location TBD
Saturday, October 30, 2004 –
Heritage Park, Frankenmuth. The walk begins at Heritage Park, continues
over the famous covered bridge, through River Place Mall, pass the Military
& Space Museum and back to Heritage Park.
AMERICAN HEART WALKS
In September 2003, the Blues raised
$93,000 to help fight heart disease and stroke, surpassing our goal and
ranking fourth place in the Top 10 company category. This year, BCBSM will
participate in the American Heart Walk as a statewide event again. Funds
raised go to research and preventive medicine programs aimed at the
eradication of heart disease – the number one killer of women and men in
America.
Volunteers are needed to
serve as team captains, form teams, collect pledges and walk. Family
members and friends are welcome to participate. Prizes will be awarded to
those collecting $100 or more. Help BCBSM continue a strong Blue presence.
To volunteer, email
volunteer@bcbsm.com or call the Hotline at 313-225-6212 or
1-800-733-2583.
East Michigan – Saginaw Heart
Walk. Saturday, August 21, 2004, 8:30 a.m. – Noon Ojibway Island
West Michigan – Grand Rapids
Metro Walk. Saturday, September 18, 2004, 8 a.m. – Noon Centennial Business
Park, 28th SE and Kraft Ave. SE, Grand Rapids (Festivities will
be at 3001 Orchard Vista Drive SE)
Mid Michigan – Lansing Walk.
Saturday, September 25, 2004, 7:30 a.m. – Noon Michigan State University,
East Lansing
Southeast Michigan – Metro
Detroit Walk. Saturday, October 2, 2004, 7:30 a.m. – Noon, Oakland
University, Meadowbrook Music Festival, 3554 Walton Blvd., Rochester Hills
MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY
Last year, the East, Mid and Upper
Peninsula and West Blues regions, in partnership with the Michigan State
Medical Society Foundation, participated in MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY in October
in recognition of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Personal
toiletries and childcare items were collected in these regions and donated
to local domestic violence shelters.
This year, the Southeast region will
also participate, making this a Blues statewide volunteer event. Collection
begins Monday, October 11 and runs through Friday, October 22, 2004.
Volunteers are needed to help
with collection, sorting and delivering these items to shelters in the
regions. To volunteer email
volunteer@bcbsm.com or call the Hotline at 313-225-6212 or
1-800-733-2583. To find out more, contact the regional representative in
your area:
East Brenda
Griffin
bgriffin2@bcbsm.com 313-225-6168
Mid Shelley
Dufort
sdufort@bcbsm.com 313-225-8673
Southeast Rhonda
Williams
rwilliams2@bcbsm.com 313-225-8414
West and UP Senita
Thompson
sthompson@bcbsm.com 313-225-7414
PARTNERSHIP SCHOOLS
Volunteers are needed to
participate in activities at Blues partnership schools. A variety of
activities are offered at each school, including Big Brothers Big Sisters
Lunch Buddies Program at Verlinden Elementary in Lansing and at Schoenhals
Elementary in Southfield, career day presentations, job shadowing and other
mentoring programs at all schools.
Detroit: Duffeild Elementary
School, 2570 Macomb Street in Detroit,
Contact Michelle
McCray
mmccray@bcbsm.com
Western
International High School, 1500 Scotten Ave. in Detroit
Contact Michelle
McCray
mmccray@bcbsm.com
Washington Careers
Center, 13000 Dequindre in Detroit (Special
Education center
for physically, mentally and emotionally challenged
Students ages 16-26
Southfield: Schoenhals
Elementary School, 16500 Lincoln Drive in Southfield
Contact Rhonda
Williams
rwilliams2@bcbsm.com
Grand Rapids: Southwest
Community Campus, 45 Lexington SE in Grand Rapids
Contact
Senita Thompson
sthompson@bcbsm.com
Dickinson Elementary School, 448 Dickinson in Grand Rapids
Contact
Senita Thompson
sthompson@bcbsm.com
Lansing: Verlinden Elementary
School, 609 North Verlinden in Lansing
Contact Shelly
Dufort
sdufort@bcbsm.com
BLUES HOLIDAY DOLL AND TOY
DRIVES
BCBSM Retirees and employees are
asked to dress dolls and/or donate new toys, hats and mittens as holiday
gifts for needy children. As volunteers you will coordinate toy
collection, distribute dolls, make and/or sell doll clothes, and set-up and
take down displays at selected facilities.
-Southeast Michigan, dolls only
July thru October, contact Rhonda Williams at
313-225-8414
-West Michigan, dolls only
September thru November, contact Senita Thompson at
313-225-7414
-Upper Peninsula, dolls only
September thru November, contact Senita Thompson at
313-225-7414
-Mid Michigan, dolls, toys and
mittens, contact Shelly Dufort at 313-225-8672
-East Michigan, dolls, toys and
mittens, contact Brenda Griffin at 313-225-6168
There will be more events as we
proceed through 2004 so continue looking at your Association’s web site. In
the meantime, if any of you have volunteer activities let us know and we
will post them to the web site and let the other retirees know what else is
going on in their area. You can communicate with the BCBSM Retiree
Association through the web site or you can send me an email at
GeraldL@groupassociates.com
VOLUNTEER…IT’S GOOD FOR
YOUR HEALTH
