For Fifth Year, Minnesota Vikings, Second Harvest Heartland and UnitedHealthcare Team up to Tackle Senior Hunger

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth consecutive year, the Minnesota Vikings, Second Harvest Heartland and UnitedHealthcare are teaming up to help tackle senior hunger in Minnesota.

Vikings players, including Blair Walsh, Zach Line, Brian Peters and Edmond Robinson, Viktor the Viking, and Minnesota Vikings cheerleaders will join UnitedHealthcare employees on Tuesday, September 22 for a food-packing volunteer project at Second Harvest Heartland West, located at 6325 Sandburg Road in Golden Valley, The food will be distributed to Second Harvest Heartland's agency partners throughout Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

In addition, the Vikings will host a Fund Drive on Sunday, September 27 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., prior to the Vikings-Chargers game at TCF Bank Stadium. UnitedHealthcare volunteers will collect financial donations at all TCF Bank Stadium entrances to benefit Second Harvest Heartland. Donations will also be accepted at www.2harvest.org/vikingsdrive now through September 27. As part of that Fund Drive, UnitedHealthcare will match every donation dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000.

The goal of the Fund Drive is to collect enough funds to provide 52,525 meals for hungry seniors—one for each seat in TCF Bank Stadium.

"Roughly 10 percent of individuals we serve are seniors over the age of 60, and this number is growing," said Rob Zeaske, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland. "We are better able to serve those seniors thanks in great part to the generosity of partners like the Minnesota Vikings and UnitedHealthcare. Their support is critical to Second Harvest Heartland, and it is critical to the many seniors served as a result."

"The Vikings are proud to again partner with Second Harvest Heartland and UnitedHealthcare in helping hungry seniors in our communities," said Steve LaCroix, vice president of sales and marketing and chief marketing officer of the Minnesota Vikings.

According to AARP, about nine million older adults nationwide face the threat of hunger. The Current Population Survey shows that from 2001 to 2011, the number of seniors experiencing the threat of hunger increased by 88 percent nationwide. According to Second Harvest Heartland, one in 12 Minnesotans over the age of 60 is threatened by hunger every day. In the food bank's 59-county service area in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, food shelf visits by people 65 and older have more than doubled in the last five years. Last year, there were more than 50,000 senior visits to Second Harvest Heartland food shelf partners.

"UnitedHealthcare is grateful for the opportunity to partner with Second Harvest Heartland and the Minnesota Vikings to ensure seniors have access to fresh, nutritious food," said Steve Nelson, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement.

These activities are the latest in UnitedHealthcare's "Do Good. Live Well." employee volunteer initiative, whose mission is to prevent hunger and obesity, inspire service and encourage volunteerism. For more information about the benefits of volunteering and to find local opportunities to get involved, visit www.DoGoodLiveWell.org. Follow @DoGoodLiveWell on Twitter or "like" Do Good. Live Well. on Facebook.

About Second Harvest HeartlandSecond Harvest Heartland is one of the nation's largest, most efficient and most innovative food banks.  In 2014, we delivered more than 74 million meals to over 1,000 food shelves, pantries and other partner programs serving 59 counties in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Second Harvest Heartland helps relieve hunger not only by sourcing, warehousing and distributing food, but through data-driven thought leadership and community partnerships that help improve the region's larger hunger relief system. For more information, visit 2harvest.org or call 651.484.5117.

About UnitedHealthcareUnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people nationwide live healthier lives by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers. The company offers the full spectrum of health benefit programs for individuals, employers and Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, and contracts directly with more than 800,000 physicians and care professionals, and 6,000 hospitals and other care facilities nationwide. Globally, UnitedHealthcare serves more than 45 million people in health benefits and is one of the businesses of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), a diversified Fortune 50 health and well-being company.

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SOURCE Second Harvest Heartland