Press Releases: Georgia
June 21, 2010
Kaiser Permanente Celebrates 25 Years with $2.5 Million Contribution to the Atlanta BeltLine
ATLANTA — In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Kaiser Permanente has made a $2.5 million contribution to the Atlanta BeltLine to support the construction of the Eastside Trail, which will connect Piedmont Park to Freedom Park Trail in Atlanta.
This contribution, which was announced on June 19 during a celebration along the BeltLine, will help complete the Northeast Corridor Trail, a 2.5-mile multi-use trail from Piedmont Park to DeKalb Avenue.
More than 250 Kaiser Permanente employees and physicians gathered to share in the announcement and to volunteer to build 25 bicycles that were donated to children from communities along the BeltLine trail.
“We knew this would be a perfect fit for Kaiser Permanente. It aligns so well with our commitment to community health and active living,” said Peter Andruszkiewicz, president of Kaiser Permanente Georgia, during the ceremony. “We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary in Georgia and this is a great way to say ‘thank you’ to Atlanta. We hope this legacy gift will help Atlantans live well, be well and thrive.
“We believe the Eastside Trail will help the Atlanta BeltLine demonstrate its potential to transform Atlanta and create a healthier, more livable city,” Mr. Andruszkiewicz said.
Scheduled to be complete in 2011, the path will encourage healthy, active living through walking, jogging and cycling. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and other local dignitaries accepted the check from Kaiser Permanente on behalf of the city and the BeltLine.
The Kaiser Permanente donation to the BeltLine matches a gift made by Sarah and Jim Kennedy/the PATH Foundation, was covered widely over the weekend by local TV stations, as well as radio and print media.
Following the announcement, teams of Kaiser Permanente volunteers assembled the 25 bikes and also engaged in a friendly and fun competition to see who could decorate them the best. The bicycles were donated through local Boys & Girls Clubs in BeltLine neighborhoods. The children also were given helmets and a bicycle safety education session.
“Regular physical activity, such as riding a bicycle, is one of the most important things you can do for your health,” said Rob Schreiner, MD, executive medical director, The Southeast Permanente Medical Group. “We believe that the Eastside Trail being built by the Atlanta BeltLine will encourage this healthy living habit, as well as walking and jogging.”
The Atlanta BeltLine is a $2.8 billion redevelopment project that will provide a network of public parks, multi-use trails and transit along a historic 22-mile railroad corridor circling downtown and connecting many neighborhoods directly to each other. It is the most comprehensive economic development effort ever undertaken in the City of Atlanta and among the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment projects in the United States.
About Kaiser Permanente of Georgia
Kaiser Permanente is Georgia’s largest not-for-profit health plan. Its mission is to provide high quality, affordable health care services to improve the health of its members and the communities it serves. Kaiser Permanente serves more than 230,000 members in a 28-county service area in metro-Atlanta with care focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists, and team of heath care providers. Expert and caring medical teams are supported by industry-leading technology and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Nationally, Kaiser Permanente is recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers, serving more than 8.6 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. For more information, visit www.kp.org.
