UnitedHealthcare has teamed up with the Indianapolis Colts to help promote health and wellness across the state. Ten lucky high schools were randomly selected to receive a check worth $5,000 as part of the “Gear Up" program. These 10 Indiana high school athletic departments can use the money to “Gear Up” their programs with new equipment, uniforms, or whatever the school may need.
This year, Northwest Indiana was represented in the winning schools. Andrean High School was selected as one of the 10 winners, and that money will go a long way to help keep the school's athletic programs running strong.
Michael Telesky, vice president of sales for Chicago and Northwest Indiana for UnitedHealthcare, as well as other members of UnitedHealthcare, presented Andrean with the $5,000 check on April 18 at its home baseball game against Kankakee Valley High School. Telesky even threw out the game's first pitch to Senior Kyle Dekerf.
Andrean Athletic Director Mike Schultz explained how important that money will be to the school.
Andrean High School awarded $5,000 from UnitedHealthcare’s and Indianapolis Colts’ “Gear Up” program
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“It’s hard making sure we stay afloat,” said Schultz. “High school sports are definitely a challenge to make sure we’re covering all of our costs, and anytime we have an opportunity to get something like this, especially an amount this large, it makes a major impact in the athletic department. I’m just really thankful and excited about the opportunity.”
When Schultz first heard about the “Gear Up" program and all of the good it could do for Andrean, he was quick to get the ball rolling to apply.
“As soon as I saw potential money for the athletic department, I sent it out to the parents, my teachers, and my coaches and I said, ‘Hey fill this out, maybe we’ll be one of the lucky ones,’ and sure enough here we are,” said Schultz.
Overall, Schultz and Andrean wanted to express their gratitude to UnitedHealthcare and the boost they are receiving.
“I just appreciate them having this program for all high school athletic departments in the state of Indiana,” said Schultz. “It’s such a great opportunity for us and the money is going to be put to great use. The biggest thing for me with our kids is that they have opportunities to go out there and compete, be active, and feel like they are part of a family and team here. Money like this really helps provide an elite student-athlete experience for our kids.”
UnitedHealthcare is thrilled to be able to make a positive impact on high school athletics across the state, as the company is always looking to help students stay active and promote a healthy lifestyle. This partnership with the Colts just made sense and allows UnitedHealthcare to help carry on its mission.
“UnitedHealthcare’s mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the healthcare system work better for everybody,” said Telesky. “Improving boys’ and girls’ sports at high schools and hopefully making it safer for kids to compete in sports is very important to us and our mission.”
To learn more about Andrean Athletics, please visit its website here.
To learn more about UnitedHealthcare, please visit its website here.
