Aetna (NYSE: AET) announced that it will provide $10,000 to create a memorial fund in honor of the late Terrell L. Slayton Jr., past chairman of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta. The funds are part of an $80,000 Aetna Foundation grant to the 100 Black Men of Atlanta (see also Aetna).
The memorial fund will provide scholarships for young people involved in Project Success, a tuition assistance and mentoring program started by the organization in 1987, and a favorite cause of Slayton. The fund will assist young people hoping to pursue careers in the health care field.
'Terrell Slayton spent much of his life working to improve conditions in Atlanta's African-American community. In particular, he was passionate about the impact of diabetes and childhood obesity on that community,' said Cynthia Follmer, president of Aetna's Georgia market. 'Aetna is deeply concerned about these issues as well, and through collaboration with organizations like the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, we've participated in numerous efforts to raise awareness and find solutions to these health crises. We are proud to honor his memory with the creation of this fund.'
Slayton died at the age of 61 on Sept. 27, 2008. He joined the 100 Black Men of Atlanta in 1987, and became its chairman and president in April 2008.
'We are pleased to work with Aetna in the establishment of the Terrell Slayton fund,' said John T. Grant Jr., chief executive officer of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta. 'This initiative reflects Aetna's commitment to addressing the issues of health disparities in the African American community. This kind of effort is at the core of our shared values, and Aetna is the type of company we want people to know about.'
Aetna and the Aetna Foundation have given $230,000 to the 100 Black Men of Atlanta over the past three years, targeting funds to efforts to improve awareness of childhood obesity and diabetes, both of which affect the African-American community with high frequency.
'The 100 Black Men of Atlanta speaks to this community with a loud and powerful voice,' said Follmer. 'Aetna has been fortunate to share that voice as we address the important health issues facing Atlanta. We highly value our relationship with the 100, and we look forward to serving together to reach these goals.' About 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc. The mission of 100 Black Men of Atlanta Inc. is to provide support and improve the quality of life for African Americans, particularly African American youth in the Atlanta community. The 100 is one of the city's strongest African American volunteer organizations focused on education, enrichment and empowerment. The organization's community work is performed through its flagship program, Project Success, a mentoring and academic support initiative with the following components: The 100 Academy (Saturday School), Mentoring, the 100 Resource Learning Center (100 RLC), the Collegiate 100, The Best Academy at Benjamin S. Carson, the Project Success Robotics Alliance, Family & Youth Empowerment Programs and Health & Wellness Initiatives. To learn more about Project Success, to volunteer, become a sponsor or make a donation visit www.100blackmen-atlanta.org. About Aetna Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 37.2 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com and Aetna's Annual Report at www.aetna.com/2008annualreport.
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This article was prepared by Obesity & Diabetes Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Obesity & Diabetes Week via NewsRx.com.
