Aetna Grant Supports Growth of Hole in the Wall Camp Challenge Rides

HARTFORD, Conn., June 18, 2010 — Cyclists across the country can take to their wheels this summer in support of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camps which bring hope and healing to seriously ill children. The rides are expanding this year into more communities thanks to a $250,000 capacity-building grant by Aetna (NYSE: AET). The grant funding will be presented to the camp at its Ashford, Conn., location on Friday, June 18.

Hole in the Wall Camps serve more than 44,000 children with cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, asthma, hemophilia, and other serious illnesses by enabling them to enjoy an empowering outdoor recreational summer camp experience free of charge.

“Team Hole in the Wall is deeply grateful for this visionary grant from Aetna that will build the capacity of our Camp Challenge offering and ultimately enable more seriously ill children to attend a Hole in the Wall Camp than ever before,” said James H. Canton, Chief Executive Officer for Team Hole in the Wall.

In addition to supporting the health and human resource needs of the campers, the grant will support expansion of the Camp Challenge Rides, which will be held on September 12, 2010, at The Painted Turtle in California, Double H Ranch in New York, and The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut.  These three Camp Challenge Rides in 2010 represent the regional replication of the successful 2009 Camp Challenge Ride in Connecticut funded by Aetna as a trial capacity-building project. 

“This year’s grant significantly expands Aetna’s financial commitment to the Hole in the Wall Camps,” said Floyd Green, head of Community Relations and Urban Marketing for Aetna.  “Last year Aetna provided a $50,000 grant to support the first Camp Challenge Ride in Connecticut, and we were thrilled that the ride raised over $215,000 for the camps.  Every dollar raised is used to send children to a camp near them for a joyful, empowering experience, complete with round-the-clock medical care.” 

Powered by Team Hole in the Wall, the Camp Challenge Rides offer participants and volunteers a chance to connect with the Camps’ mission through 15-mile to 62-mile course offerings, Camp tours, and a family-style picnic celebration. 

Aetna’s Volunteer Councils also will help to develop and manage regional Team Hole in the Wall Camp Challenge Rides.  In addition to supporting the rides, many Aetna volunteers have supported the Hole in the Wall camps through their participation in volunteer days, team marathon events, crafting no-sew blankets for campers and supporting the overall needs of the camps, with many activities planned for 2010.

For more information or to support the September Team Hole in the Wall Camp Challenge Ride, please visit www.teamholeinthewall.org/ccr2010.

About The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, Connecticut is a nonprofit, residential summer camp and year-round center serving children and their families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses and conditions. Through its Camp programs, year-round outreach to hospitals and clinics, and ongoing services for children, families and caregivers, the Camp serves more than 15,000 annually. All of its services are provided free of charge.  Fore more information, see www.holeinthewallgang.org.

About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation’s leading diversified health care benefits companies, serving approximately 36.1 million people with information and resources to help them make better informed decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of traditional and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental, behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical management capabilities and health care management services for Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals, college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans, governmental units, government-sponsored plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see www.aetna.com and Aetna's Annual Report at www.aetna.com/2009annualreport.