On Sept. 29, 25 staff members from Blue Cross Blue Shield visited the Gleason Family YMCA in Wareham to clean up campgrounds and trails and paint foursquare and hopscotch on the blacktop.

This was part of a service project organized by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts whereby 3,000  employees volunteered to support 90 service projects across Massachusetts.

Blue Cross partnered with 76 not-for-profit organizations to design both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities that align with the company's health equity work. 

"We’re proud to support not-for-profits around the state that are working to address health inequities in our communities," said Andrew Dreyfus, president and CEO of Blue Cross. "The idea for Service Day came from our employees. Over the past 12 years it has grown to become our largest company event and one of our most beloved traditions. It is incredible to see the collective impact that can be accomplished in one day to support the critical work of our community partners.”

Volunteers participating in-person are supporting 80 projects in 50 cities and towns across Massachusetts focused on addressing the social and environmental conditions affecting the health of children and families. Service projects include creating new outdoor play spaces for children to stay active, harvesting fresh produce to donate to local food pantries, and cleaning beaches and clearing trails to improve access to green space.