RELEASE
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Detroit Pistons Invite Michigan Kids to Enter Their Youth Basketball Team in the #MIKidsCan Pistons VIP Experience Contest
Brianna Neace
| 3 min read
DETROIT, Feb. 1, 2017— Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan is partnering with the Detroit Pistons for the #MIKidsCan Pistons VIP Experience contest running from Feb. 1 through Feb. 22. One lucky youth basketball player will win a once-in-a-lifetime experience for his/her whole team at the Detroit Pistons game on March 19. The event will also feature a birthday celebration for Hooper, the Pistons mascot. The contest aims to highlight the importance of children’s health and asks Michigan kids to share how basketball has made their lives healthier. “One in three children in Michigan is overweight or obese, which means they’re more likely to have health conditions that will affect their quality of life as adults.” said Andrew Hetzel, vice president of Corporate Communications at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. “The #MIKidsCan Pistons VIP Experience contest encourages kids across the state to celebrate their dedication to being active and take pride in how playing basketball helps them accomplish their health goals.” To enter the contest on behalf of their team, children between the ages of eight and 18 can visit www.ahealthiermichigan.org/mikidscan Wednesday, Feb. 1 through Wednesday, Feb. 22 and submit an answer to the question, “How has basketball helped you live a healthier life?” The winner of the #MIKidsCan Pistons VIP Experience contest will be chosen based on their submission and announced on March 6. As part of the prize package he or she, in addition to their team, will enjoy the following at the Pistons game on March 19:
- A VIP pre-game experience in the President’s Club
- Meet and greet with a Pistons player, Hooper and his mascot friends
- Game tickets for winner and up to 14 members of the team and chaperones to watch the Detroit Pistons take on the Phoenix Suns
“We are pleased to partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and help raise awareness about children’s health,” said Charlie Metzter, executive vice president and chief marketing and communications officer for Palace Sports & Entertainment. “The #MIKidsCan Pistons VIP Experience is a great way to encourage kids to be active through sports, engage a healthy and active lifestyle, and reward participation with an opportunity to enjoy a Detroit Pistons game.” The #MIKidsCan Pistons VIP Experience supports Blue Cross’s ongoing commitment to encouraging kids to establish healthy habits early in life that are more likely to be carried into adulthood. Over the last 11 years, Blue Cross has given more than $6.5 million in support of kids’ health and wellness initiatives across the state, reaching over 230,000 children in more than 500 schools. For more information on the sweepstakes or Blue Cross’ ongoing efforts to help improve childhood health, visit AHealthierMichigan.org/mikidscan or follow #MIKidsCan on Twitter. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, a nonprofit mutual insurance company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. BCBSM provides and administers health benefits to more than 4.4 million members residing in Michigan in addition to employees of Michigan-headquartered companies who reside outside the state. For more company information, visit bcbsm.com and MiBluesPerspectives.com.
