As childhood obesity rates continue to rise dramatically, UnitedHealthcare is supporting kids’ creative efforts to battle obesity through its UnitedHealth HEROES grant program. UnitedHealthcare, a UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) company, awarded $4,000 in HEROES grants to five organizations in Chicago for youth-led projects that address childhood obesity. Among the Grant recipients in Chicago were :

• Better Boys Foundation – A $1,000 grant to support North Lawndale Growing Together (NLGT), a service learning project that aims to increase the number of North Lawndale residents planting, maintaining and obtaining nutrition from domestic herb and vegetables gardens. Youth will learn about herbs and vegetables, and learn how to cultivate seeds. The project will culminate on April 21 with a Garden Planting Day for students and the community.
• Erie Neighborhood House – A $500 grant to support a health fair for youth and their families that includes information booths and workshops on healthy eating, physical activity, building muscle, cooking healthy, and vitamins. Erie serves families in the West Town, Humboldt Park and Logan Square neighborhoods of Chicago.
• Jefferson Awards Youth Service Challenge – A $1,000 grant to support several schools in Chicago and northwest Indiana that will participate in the Jefferson Awards Youth Service Challenge. Students will participate in semester-long health projects held at each individual school that include health fairs, blood drives, community gardens, dance-a-thons, 5K walks, and 3-on-3 basketball tournaments. A complete list of grant winners and their projects is available online at www.ysa.org/HEROES.