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Press Release

Independence Blue Cross to Join 17th Annual United Way Days of Caring

Record-number of 550 associates to participate in 11 projects

Philadelphia, PA - September 9, 2008 - About 550 volunteers from Independence Blue Cross (IBC) will help build their community by taking part in the 17th annual United Way Days of Caring event today and Saturday.

The two-day United Way Days of Caring event kicks off the United Way 2008 campaign. This year, more than 7,000 volunteers from area companies will complete hundreds of service projects to benefit communities in southeastern Pennsylvania.

IBC volunteers will participate in 11 different service projects throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida at the following locations. All projects will take place today, except for the Holmesburg Boys Club project, which will take place on Saturday:

Strawberry Mansion Community (33rd and Diamond St, Philadelphia, PA)	More than 180 Blue Crew volunteers will help revitalize this historic community by cleaning, painting, gardening, and organizing the community center and gardens at this United Way Day of Caring signature site.
The Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly (CARIE) - Carousel House (Belmont Avenue and North Concourse Drive, Philadelphia, PA)	Nearly 40 IBC associates will assist in CARIE’s Golden Games, an Olympic-style event that gives more than 140 nursing home residents a day of physical activities, a chance to socialize, and fun. CARIE is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for vulnerable older people.
JCC Stiffel Senior Center (604 Porter Street, Philadelphia, PA)	About 17 IBC associates will clean, organize, and paint the kitchen and facility center of JCC Stiffel Senior Center, a South Philadelphia social center that serves the elderly who want to live independently.
Special People in the Northeast, Inc. (10521 Drummond Road, Philadelphia, PA)	Special People in the Northeast, Inc. is a nonprofit human service organization that provides community resources and services to children and adults with disabilities and their families. Nearly 50 IBC associates will revitalize a play park and make the playground a safer and more child-friendly place for children.
American Red Cross (23rd and Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia, PA)	More than 40 associates will assemble disaster preparation kits for the community in West Philadelphia. Each year, the American Red Cross responds immediately to more than 70,000 disasters, including house fires, hurricanes, and floods.
Cradles to Crayons (141 Gibralter Road, Horsham, PA)	Cradles to Crayons, a nonprofit organization, collects, organizes, and provides free-of-charge, new and gently-used clothing, educational materials and toys, school supplies, and athletic equipment to homeless and low-income children in the five-county southeastern Pennsylvania region. Nearly 70 associates will inspect books, sort and test toys, stuff backpacks, and “shop” at the site’s warehouse to fill orders for local children.
Partners for Families (329 East Main Street, Norristown, PA)	Nearly 55 IBC associates will clean, paint, and organize the food pantry of Partners for Families, a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and strengthening families by providing a network of community and faith-based supportive resources.
Camp Kiddie Keep Well (35 Roosevelt Drive, Edison, NJ)	About 13 IBC associates will clean, update, and revitalize campsites at Camp Kiddie Keep Well, which provides residential camping experience for about 600 children who would not normally be able to go to sleep-away camp each summer.
Providence House (confidential location in Burlington County, NJ)	The Providence House provides services to victims of domestic abuse and their children free of charge. About 20 associates will assist with gardening, painting, and other odd jobs at a safe home for the victims and families of domestic violence. The location of the safe home is confidential.
Methodist Children's Village (7915 Herlong Road, Jacksonville, FL)	Some 16 IBC associates in Florida will read and play games with the children and help with light yard work and odd jobs at the Methodist Children’s Village, which provides childcare and other family-related services for children.
Holmesburg Boys Club (7756 Ditman Street, Philadelphia, PA)	On Saturday, nearly 45 Blue Crew volunteers will update the sports facilities, kitchen, bathroom, and snack bar; create an office space for administrative needs; remove invasive plants from the fields; build shelving to organize sports equipment; paint; and perform general clean-up to make the Holmesburg a better play for children to play. The Holmesburg Boys Club is a nonprofit youth athletic association that offers girls and boys the opportunity to participate in various programs such as cheerleading, football, basketball, hockey, baseball, and softball.

Independence Blue Cross has been involved with the Days of Caring event for more than 10 years. IBC has steadily been increasing the number of associates involved with the Days of Caring, from about 50 in 1995 to 550 this year. Last year, 250 IBC associates joined six Days of Caring projects and completed work in a day that would have taken agencies several days or months to finish. For the last five years, IBC associates donated over $1 million during the two-week United Way campaign. With the company's dollar-for-dollar match, IBC has been a corporate leader in United Way giving, donating about $10.6 million to the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania since 2003.

Independence Blue Cross is a leading health insurer in southeastern Pennsylvania. Nationwide, Independence Blue Cross and its affiliates provide coverage to nearly 3.4 million people. For 70 years, Independence Blue Cross has offered high-quality health care coverage tailored to meet the changing needs of members, employers, and health care professionals. Independence Blue Cross's HMO and PPO health care plans have consistently received the highest ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance. Independence Blue Cross is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.