MEDIA ADVISORY

Sixers and Independence Blue Cross Foundation host Fit76 Basketball Clinic for Children in City of Chester

Philadelphia, PA – April 1, 2015

When:
Wednesday April 1, 2015
10:00-11:16 A.M. (76 minutes)

Who:

• Sixers Ambassador of Basketball World B. Free
• Sixers mascot Franklin
• Members of the Sixers Phlight Squad
• 25 fifth grade students participating in the Independence Blue Cross Healthy Futures Initiative

Where:
Drexel Neumann Academy
1901 Potter Street
Chester, PA 19013

Details:
The Philadelphia 76ers and Independence Blue Cross Foundation (Foundation) will bring Sixers Ambassador of Basketball, mascot Franklin, and members of the high-flying Sixers Phlight Squad to Chester’s Drexel Neumann Academy for a 76-minute basketball and fitness clinic as part of the Foundation’s Healthy Futures Initiative.

The clinic will feature different fitness activities for the kids and personalized basketball skills training and tips for maintaining healthy lifestyles.

Healthy Futures focuses on three components of healthy living — “Eat Right,” “Get Fit” and “Stay Well” — each brought to life in area schools through partnerships with national and regional leaders with expertise in nutrition, fitness and preventative health care. Launched in August 2013, Healthy Futures now offers programming in 25 regional schools, directly impacting more than 1,000 students and their families. The initiative is a three-year, nearly $3 million comprehensive, collaborative approach to combating obesity and improving childhood wellness in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

For more information, please contact Sixers Public Relations at 215-339-7666.

About the Independence Blue Cross Foundation The Independence Blue Cross Foundation is a charitable, private foundation, whose mission is leading solutions for a healthier community. The foundation targets the following areas of impact:

• Securing the Blue Safety Net: Supporting private, nonprofit community health center clinics that provide access to quality, affordable healthcare in medically underserved areas.
• Bolstering the Health Care Workforce: Strengthening the nursing, primary care, and allied health workforce through education, career development, and research.
• Addressing Health Priorities: Collaborating with wellness partners to tackle the region’s most pressing health challenges; currently combating the obesity epidemic through the IBC Foundation Healthy Futures Initiative.
• Building healthy communities: Partnering with community leaders and programs to address community health and wellness needs.

Learn more by visiting our website: www.ibxfoundation.org. Connect with the Independence Blue Cross Foundation on Twitter at @ibxfdn.

About Sixers Strong
Sixers Strong is the charitable arm of the Philadelphia 76ers, which focuses community efforts exclusively on improving the life trajectory of children in the Delaware Valley. Designed to build children up to have a brighter future, Sixers Strong will drive funds and resources back into the community year-round, striving to create a better world for the next generation. “Strong Kids. Strong Community.”

About the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the most storied franchises in the National Basketball Association, having won three World Championships, earning nine trips to The Finals and making 47 playoff appearances over 66 seasons. The team is owned by an investor group led by Managing Owner Josh Harris and co-Managing Owner David Blitzer.

Media contact
Ruth Stoolman
Independence Blue Cross
215-241-4807 (office)
215-280-3335 (cell)
ruth.stoolman@ibx.com