March 29, 2007

Blue Cross Opens 2007 Angel Award Nominations

Statewide honor brings $20,000 in grants to those who help Louisiana children

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana announced today it has opened nominations for the 2007 Angel Award. The deadline to nominate an individual who has done extraordinary volunteer work on behalf of Louisiana kids is May 25, 2007.

The state’s largest health insurer founded the Angel Award in 1995 to seek out, honor and reward Louisianians who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to our state’s children. Over the past 13 years, the annual statewide recognition program has honored 95 “angels,” ranging from a 22-year-old LSU student who worked to reform the juvenile justice system to a 93-year-old Natchitoches businessman who donated millions of dollars and hours of time to the at-risk youth of his community.

Past honorees have come from every corner of our state and from all walks of life. This year, eight Louisiana angels will be selected and will receive grants of $20,000 each for their chosen charities. Anyone who knows a deserving individual is encouraged to nominate him or her for the 2007 Angel Award by May 25.

An online nomination form and more details on the program are available at the Blue Cross website.

Nomination packets are also available by calling toll-free 1-888-219-BLUE (1-888-219-2583) or e mailing Angel.Award@bcbsla.com. Supplemental information in support of the nomination, including testimonial letters, brochures, news articles, photos and videos, is encouraged, but these materials cannot be returned.

A selection committee made up of past Angel Award recipients will choose this year’s eight honorees based on the following criteria:

• NEED: Did the nominee contribute a needed service to Louisiana children? 
• ACTION: Was the nominee active, not just a figurehead? 
• INITIATIVE: Did the nominee initiate new programs or activities and use new methods to solve problems?
• ACHIEVEMENT: Has the nominee accomplished desired results?
• IMPACT: Has the activity or service provided by the nominee produced positive changes and provided examples for other groups?
• TIME: Was the amount of time devoted to the activity or service significant? 
• CHALLENGE: Did the nominee have to overcome any unusual challenges, such as limited resources or public perceptions of the problems?

A nominee may be recognized for work performed individually or through churches, schools or civic organizations, but a group cannot be nominated. The volunteer work must have been performed in the state of Louisiana with Louisiana children as the primary beneficiaries. The volunteer effort can be focused on enhancing any aspect of a child’s life, including physical, emotional, creative and spiritual. Individuals who are paid for their services are eligible, but their efforts must be considered to go above and beyond their job descriptions. Work done on work-release time and/or for student course credit may also be considered.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana will award grants to the honorees’ chosen charities that qualify as non-profit charitable organizations with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is Louisiana-owned and -operated. Marking its 73rd anniversary this year, the company is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. It is a tax-paying mutual company, owned by its policyholders. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana also has district offices in Alexandria, Houma, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Monroe, New Orleans and Shreveport. The company’s subsidiaries include HMO Louisiana, Inc. and Southern National Life Insurance Company, Inc.