Top Washington recipients include Food Lifeline; Treehouse; United Way; Boys and Girls Club; and American Cancer Society

SEATTLE – Whether it’s feeding the hungry, supporting local foster children or offering parents a place to stay when their child is in the hospital, Regence employees are giving back to the communities where they live and work through the company’s annual employee giving campaign. In the recently completed 2012 campaign, employees from Regence BlueShield in Washington and its affiliated companies in Idaho, Oregon and Utah pledged charitable gifts of more than $1.2 million to nearly 1,550 nonprofits. In addition, a 50 percent match from Cambia Health Foundation brings the total to nearly $1.8 million that will go to support communities in the region and across the U.S.  
Of that $1.8 million, about $550,000 will be directed to 474 Washington nonprofits.
 
“Regence has long been committed to partnering with Washington nonprofits to support the good work they do to strengthen our community and help those in need,” said Jonathan Hensley, Regence BlueShield of Washington president. “I’m proud of the generosity of our employees during the employee giving campaign, and throughout the year. It is truly a reflection of their commitment to serving our members and the community.”
Regence’s employee giving campaign is an annual event where employees can donate to an eligible nonprofit of their choice, and Cambia Health Foundation matches those donations at 50 percent. Sixty-five percent of company employees participated in this year’s campaign, which is nearly three times the national average for employee giving.
 
Over the past five years of the giving campaign (including the match), employees at Regence-affiliated companies have donated more than $7.7 million to nonprofits across the nation.

About Regence BlueShield
Regence BlueShield is a leading health plan in Washington with nearly one million members, offering health, life and dental insurance. Regence BlueShield is a nonprofit independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, and is affiliated with Regence BlueShield of Idaho, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon and Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah. Together, the companies serve more than two million members in the Northwest/Intermountain Region. The Regence affiliated companies are committed to improving the health of its members and communities, and to transforming the health care system. For more information, please visit www.regence.com or www.twitter.com/RegenceWA.