Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) today announced that for the fifth straight year, it is joining forces with the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society® (PBATS) and the Taylor Hooton Foundation to speak with children about the importance of staying active, making healthy choices, and routinely visiting their doctor and dentist.
Each event, held in Major League Baseball stadiums throughout the spring and summer, is part of PBATS’ Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth (PLAY) Campaign. Since its inception in 2004, thousands of children have participated in more than 300 PLAY Campaign events hosted by all 30 Major League teams. A full schedule of this year’s events can be found here.
As part of its support, Henry Schein’s Athletics and Schools business and its supplier partners provide the approximately 200 children and teenagers who attend each event with a drawstring pack containing sunscreen, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss, eye black, a mouthguard, Thera-Band exercise bands, hand sanitizer, and a score card to track teeth brushing, hand washing, and other healthy habits. The product donation is an initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the company’s global corporate social responsibility program. The Henry Schein Cares Foundation is also providing a monetary donation in support of the program.
“We are very pleased to be partnering with Henry Schein and the Henry Schein Cares Foundation for yet another year, together striving toward our common goal of improving the health of local children,” said PBATS President Mark O’Neal. “Their support enables PBATS to teach kids the importance of staying active, making healthy choices, and how doing so will improve their lives in the years to come.”
As part of each PLAY Campaign event, children pre-selected by community organizations are invited to their local Major League Baseball stadium to participate in games, drills, and other activities led by the host team’s athletic training staff and designed to emphasize the importance of strength and conditioning, injury prevention, proper nutrition, and avoiding the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs. Children then meet with a Major League Baseball player to discuss the importance of overall health.
“Henry Schein is proud to partner with PBATS for what will be another successful season of helping kids understand the importance of good personal hygiene, eating right, and living healthy,” said Jeff Klingler, Vice President, Enterprise Health, Henry Schein Medical. “Together with our supplier partners, we are able to provide each child with supplies that will help empower them to make the healthiest choices possible. And with the help of their favorite ballplayers, we can help set them on the path to a lifetime of good health.”
About PBATS
The Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) is a recognized 501(c) (6) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the education of athletic trainers, and the enhancement of the general public’s awareness of health, wellness and disability knowledge. PBATS membership consists of all Major League Baseball athletic trainers. For more information, please visit www.pbats.com.
About Henry Schein Cares
Henry Schein Cares stands on four pillars: engaging Team Schein Members to reach their potential, ensuring accountability by extending ethical business practices to all levels within Henry Schein, promoting environmental sustainability, and expanding access to health care for underserved and at-risk communities around the world. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on three main areas: advancing wellness, building capacity in the delivery of health care services, and assisting in emergency preparedness and relief.
Firmly rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the concept of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the philosophy behind Henry Schein Cares is a vision of “doing well by doing good.” Through the work of Henry Schein Cares to enhance access to care for those in need, the Company believes that it is furthering its long-term success. “Helping Health Happen Blog” is a platform for health care professionals to share their volunteer experiences delivering assistance to those in need globally. To read more about how Henry Schein Cares is making a difference, please visit our blog: www.helpinghealthhappen.org.
