42nd Annual Cooper River Bridge Run announces Benefitfocus as a presenting sponsor
March 20, 2019
The Cooper River Bridge Run is pleased to announce Benefitfocus as a Presenting Sponsor for the race. Benefitfocus has committed to a three-year sponsorship and will serve as a dual presenting sponsor alongside Harris Teeter until 2022.
“Benefitfocus is thrilled to be a multi-year presenting sponsor of the Cooper River Bridge Run,” comments Ray August, President & CEO of Benefitfocus. “This is one of the Lowcountry’s premier events that celebrates commitment to community. Our sponsorship of the Bridge Run is well-aligned to Benefitfocus’ other community and philanthropic activities that support the amazing work of our associates who volunteer for and contribute to many of our vital, local non-profit groups. It’s an honor to be an integral part of this ongoing tradition in Charleston.”
Benefitfocus is rooted in giving back, and the commitment to the Cooper River Bridge Run is one of many ways that the company supports people in need. Since just 2016, Benefitfocus has donated more than $500,000 to nonprofit organizations. 2016 was a benchmark philanthropic year for the company as it launched the Benefitfocus Fundwhich initiated an Associate Matching Program that matches donations made by employees to the charities of their choice. Through that program the company has supported over 200 organizations to date across the nation in the communities that Benefitfocus serves. Together, Benefitfocus and its employees also stepped up when the community was in need and provided more than $61,000 ($25,000 donated by the company, plus a match of the more than $18,000 raised by its employees) to the Red Cross after the devastation of Hurricane Florence, and also donated $100,000 to the Mother Emanuel Hope Fund.
Benefitfocus also supports local intramural sports teams and provides $250 donations for up to 100 sponsorships per year to teams that Benefitfocus associates play on, coach, or have children that are players. Donating and supporting organizations and communities at large is a part of the company’s culture and a way to activate and inspire their employees on a daily basis.
“Benefitfocus is extremely philanthropic and plays a large active role in the Charleston community, and we are thrilled about their commitment to support our health and wellness initiatives for race participants and folks across the Lowcountry,” said Race Director of the Cooper River Bridge Run, Mike Seekings. “The Bridge Run is made possible by our incredible sponsors, and we are honored and excited to welcome Benefitfocus to the Bridge Run family.”
For more information about this year’s race, events and how to #getoverit, visit www.bridgerun.com
About Benefitfocus
Benefitfocus (NASDAQ: BNFT) unifies the entire U.S. benefits industry on a single technology platform to protect consumers’ health, wealth and lifestyle. Our powerful cloud-based software, data-driven insights and thoughtfully-designed services, enable employers, insurance brokers and carriers to simplify the complexity of benefits administration and deliver a world-class benefits experience. Learn more at www.benefitfocus.com, LinkedIn and Twitter.
About the Cooper River Bridge Run
The Cooper River Bridge Run began in 1978 with a dream of promoting a healthy lifestyle in the Lowcountry, starting with roughly 800 people who ran across the bridges that connect Charleston. In 2006, the race made the leap of running across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and has since grown to accommodate more than 40,000 participants who “get over it” each April. Today, the Cooper River Bridge Run, a registered 501(c)(3) organization, provides a world-class 10k (6.2 mile) footrace promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle through education and opportunity. Nationally acclaimed and locally admired, the Cooper River Bridge Run serves as a model of health motivation for other communities throughout the world. The event is the only sanctioned USA Track and Field Elite Event Competition in South Carolina and has been named the third largest 10k in America by Running USA. It has also been voted ‘Best Fundraising Event’ by Charleston City Paper’s “Best Of Awards” from 2013 to 2018. For more information, please visit www.bridgerun.com.
