FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon, Nationwide
Insurance Partner with Nationwide Children's Hospital
Hospital Named Title Beneficiary of Marathon; Event Celebrates
Community's Giving Spirit and Honors Patients of Nationwide Children's
(COLUMBUS, OH). Today, the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon and
Nationwide Insurance are making Nationwide Children's Hospital the title
beneficiary of the annual running and walking event, renaming it the
Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon.
The agreement is for three years and takes effect immediately. The goal of
the partnership is to engage the community while gaining corporate and
participant support of Nationwide Children's Hospital's non-profit
mission.
Nationwide Insurance remains as one of the event's lead sponsors and will
continue providing corporate support. Nationwide Insurance has been a key
sponsor of the Marathon since the event's inception in 1980.
"We are excited about this transition as we continue our involvement with
the newly named Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon and 1/2
Marathon," said Chad Jester, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship,
Nationwide Insurance. "The annual running and walking event has become
nationally renowned and showcases tens of thousands of people who
participate as athletes, volunteers and spectators. We see the engagement
with the hospital as another great opportunity for the entire community to
further support the life-saving work undertaken at Nationwide Children's
Hospital."
Bill Burns, Chairman of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus
Marathon Board of Trustees, said the group is honored to be a part of this.
"Adding Nationwide Children's Hospital as our title beneficiary
significantly increases the positive impact our event has on the entire
community," Burns said. "We could not ask for a better corporate partner
than Nationwide Insurance, as they have stood with us since day one. The
sky is the limit in terms of how this powerful collaboration will benefit
the participants, volunteers and sponsors, and the entire Columbus
community, and of course, what it can mean for the hospital.
Steve Allen, M.D. and chief executive officer of Nationwide Children's
Hospital, added, "We want to recognize Nationwide Insurance for once again
coming forward to support both the Marathon and the hospital in their role
as one of our community's most engaged corporate leaders. We also thank
the Columbus Marathon for selecting Nationwide Children's Hospital as their
title beneficiary. This event is already nationally recognized as America's
best-organized marathon and is always one of the biggest events on the
Columbus calendar. As the City celebrates its Bicentennial year, the
hospital marks its 120th year of providing the best possible care to
children regardless of a family's ability to pay. We can only do this
thanks to tremendous community support and partnerships like the one
we've announced today."
To kick-off the spirit of charitable giving, the Nationwide Children's
Hospital Columbus Marathon is issuing a "call to commit" to this year's
participants. The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon will
match the first $100,000 in donations that are raised for the hospital by
participants in the 2012 race. Fundraising participants are part of
Children's Champions - a team of athletes who dedicate their race to the
kids of Nationwide Children's. Hopes are that other corporate partners will
provide similar matching opportunities to encourage fundraising efforts.
"We are honored to have such a favorable impact on our community, and this
new relationship will help us do even more good work," said Darris
Blackford, Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon Race Director.
"Running and walking can be good for your health, and can make a difference
in the lives of others, too."
In addition, there are several new components that will pay tribute to and
honor the millions of patients Nationwide Children's Hospital cares for
annually. Each of the 26 miles, deemed the "Miracle Miles", will be
dedicated to a "Patient Champion". A current patient of Nationwide
Children's. The community will have the opportunity to nominate a child as
a Patient Champion (more information about nominating a child will be
shared at a later date). Patient Champions will also be involved in other
aspects of the event, from cheering participants on at the finish line, to
presenting the marathon medals. Each Miracle Mile can be sponsored by a
corporate or community organization in which the partners hope to have full
engagement.
Today, the partners are also excited to announce the very first Patient
Champion who will represent the inaugurally sponsored "Nationwide Insurance
Miracle Mile". Alison Hile. Alison, 11, is the daughter of Doug and Jill
Hile (Hilliard, OH) who are both associates at Nationwide Insurance. Alison
has been a patient of Nationwide Children's since she was just days old
when she was first diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The Hile family leads an
active lifestyle and loves to run which is actually very healthy for
Alison's lungs and is an important part of her continued treatment as a
patient living with cystic fibrosis.
The announcement of this partnership comes on the heels of a recent
economic impact study conducted by Fisher Business Services at The Ohio
State University that estimated the lifetime economic impact of the
Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon's 32-year history to be
more than $154 million, including $13 million in 2011.
Additionally announced today were several special Bicentennial activities
to commemorate the City's Bicentennial. These include special recognitions
honoring the city at the Race Expo, Start Line and Celebration Village;
every 200th finisher will get a special award; hundreds of athletes will
hold up large Bicentennial banners at the start line that will feature the
200Columbus logo, which will make for spectacular aerial photographs; all
participants in the Children's Run will wear #200 on their runner bibs; and
much more.
The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon has helped raise
millions of dollars as a fundraising mechanism for many charities over its
32-year history, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in
Training, the Hospice Foundation's Run to Remember, The Susan G. Komen For
the Cure's Marathon for the Cure and the American Cancer Society's Team
Determination. These and other charities will be encouraged to continue
their fundraising efforts under the new agreement.
About Nationwide
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, based in Columbus, Ohio, is one of the
largest and strongest diversified insurance and financial services
organizations in the U.S. and is rated A+ by both A.M. Best and Standard &
Poor's. The company provides customers a full range of insurance and
financial services, including auto insurance, motorcycle, boat, homeowners,
pet, life insurance, farm, commercial insurance, administrative services,
annuities, mortgages, mutual funds, pensions, longterm savings plans and
specialty health services. For more information, visit www.nationwide.com.
Nationwide, the Nationwide frame mark, and On Your Side are service marks
of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company
About The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon
The 33rd Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon will
be held on Sunday, October 21, 2012 and will have the capacity of 7,000
full Marathoners and 11,000 1/2 Marathoners. Registration officially opens
on Saturday, January 21, 2012. The Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus Marathon is among the 20 largest marathons in the United States
and is one of the top marathons to qualify runners for the Boston Marathon.
For more information, visit www.columbusmarathon.com. or call 614.421.7866.
About Nationwide Children's Hospital
Ranked in U.S.News & World Report's 2011-12 "America's Best Children's
Hospitals," Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the nation's largest
not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare networks providing
wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for
infants, children, and adolescents as well as adult patients with
congenital disease. A medical staff of 1000 and a hospital staff of 7,600
provide state-of-the-art pediatric care for more than 949,000 patient
visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State
University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital physicians
train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The
Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital is one of the top 10
National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research
facilities. Nationwide Children's remains true to the original mission
since its founding in 1892 of providing care regardless of a family's
ability to pay. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.
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