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BOSTON — September 5, 2013 — On September 18, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) will hold its third annual company-wide Service Day, One Community. One Blue. More than 3,000 associates, known as BlueCrew, will volunteer all together on one day at 39 different community sites across the state to beautify recreational areas, prepare meals, assemble food and clothes items, and enhance educational facilities, among many other activities. Visit the Service Day website for more information.

"Through our Corporate Citizenship efforts, we are committed to improving the lives of children and families in need, investing in the economy, empowering our workforce through civic engagement and diversity and inclusion initiatives and improving the environment," said Andrew Dreyfus president and CEO of BCBSMA. "Inspired by the vision and goals of our community partners, Service Day gives our associates the opportunity to strengthen cities, towns, and neighborhoods across Massachusetts and continues our more than 75 year legacy of community commitment - which has been a hallmark of Blue Cross since our founding."

Last year more than 3,000 of our associates volunteered at 31 projects and contributed more than 16,000 volunteer hours in one day. View a video of last years' Service Day here.

BCBSMA's 2013 non-profit Service Day partners include:

Project highlights include:

• Boys & Girls Club of Worcester: Beautifying the building and prepping the swimming pool for another successful year for the Aquatics Program.
• Germantown Neighborhood Center: Adding shine to the Germantown Neighborhood Center facilities by participating in a community improvement project.
• Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless: Painting donated beds for over 800 low-income families and children to support the Coalition's "A Bed for Every Child" initiative.
• Community Servings: Participating in a "Peel-A-Thon" of 2,800 pounds of fresh vegetables for the production of 5,000 servings of soup, which will be used to feed 800 individuals affected by critical illness.
• Thrive in 5: Assembling 3,750 activity kits for families engaged in Boston Children Thrive (BCT) to receive when they enroll in BCT-sponsored kindergarten registration and school choice activities.
• Rebuilding Together Springfield Inc.: Helping a WWII Veteran and his family rehab their home by painting the house, garage and repairing decaying wood around the window frames, while also freshening up the landscape.
• Old Colony YMCA: Increasing access to outdoor recreational activities for the children and families in the program by building a soccer field in Plymouth, clearing walking paths in East Bridgewater, and creating an outside story book trail in Stoughton.

BCBSMA will remain open in a limited capacity on September 18. Dedicated call center associates, essential to supporting BCBSMA members and providers, will work throughout the day and volunteer in shifts to ensure they can serve the community and join the Service Day activities.

Community and Economic Impact Beyond Service Day
A new BCBSMA 2012 Corporate Citizenship Report highlights other measurable and sustainable benefits BCBSMA's community and economic contribution strategies are having throughout the Commonwealth. View the report here.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (www.bluecrossma.com) is a community-focused, tax-paying, not-for-profit health plan headquartered in Boston. We are committed to working with others in a spirit of shared responsibility to make quality health care affordable. Consistent with our corporate promise to always put our 2.8 million members first, we are rated among the nation's best health plans for member satisfaction and quality. To learn more about BCBSMA's Corporate Citizenship efforts, visit BlueCrew @ Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts on Facebook or our annual Corporate Citizenship Report.