Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida to Sponsor 12 Students from the HEAT Academy to Attend HEAT Camp

MIAMI, July 22– For their outstanding performance on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and support of the HEAT Academy program, 12 students from the HEAT Academy -- sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) -- will participate in the final week of HEAT Camp. HEAT Camp will take place from Monday, July 25 through Friday, July 29 at Miami-Dade Community College in Kendall. The value of the camp is $265 per student.

The four-week camp is for girls and boys between the ages of seven and 16 and focuses on the fundamentals of basketball and the importance of teamwork. HEAT Camp also features quality instruction, guest speakers, prizes, awards and surprises.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is a major sponsor of the HEAT’s education initiatives including the HEAT Academy, Read To Achieve, Summer Jam, and the HEAT Camp. “Providing a safe and healthy environment for Miami-Dade’s children is fundamental to their well-being and ultimately to the community’s quality of life,” said Shelly Spivak, Manager of Community Relations, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. “We are pleased to support the HEAT Academy. We especially congratulate the students on their scholastic achievement and hope they enjoy HEAT Camp.”

The HEAT Academy, sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines, started in 1999 as a collaborative partnership with the Miami-Dade County Public School System and currently operates at three Miami-Dade County Public Schools: Dunbar Elementary in Overtown, Little River Elementary in Little Haiti and Riverside Elementary in Little Havana. The Academy’s major goal is to provide economically disadvantaged students who are most at risk of academic failure or juvenile delinquency with a program of after-school tutoring and academic enrichment. The program is dedicated to strengthening the students’ reading and math skills so that they are able to increase their potential for success on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and to compete on a national level. The HEAT Academy runs the course of the school year, Monday through Friday, and is frequented by employees of the HEAT who share their time and experiences to help support the teacher instruction. The Miami HEAT was recently awarded the 2004-05 Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award, presented by the Florida Commissioner of Education, for its HEAT Academy program, marking the second time the HEAT has won this prestigious award.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is a leader in Florida’s health industry. BCBSF and its subsidiaries serve more than 7.1 million people. Since 1944, the company has been dedicated to meeting the diverse needs of all those it serves by offering an array of choices. BCBSF is a not-for-profit, policyholder-owned, tax-paying mutual company. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please see its web site at www.BCBSF.com.