President Clinton looks on as Gary Player, right, gets fist bumps from golf legend Billy Casper and Humana Challenge CEO Bob Marra on the first tee during the first day of the Humana Challenge on January 17. (Rodrigo Pena / AP Images for Humana)

Golf legends Billy Casper and Gary Player, Humana’s well-being ambassador, hit ceremonial tee shots to start the first round of the 2013 Humana Challenge Thursday in La Quinta, Calif. They were joined at the first tee by President Bill Clinton, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, and Mike McCallister, Humana Chairman of the Board.

Once the first round was under way, McCallister and Finchem joined President Clinton at a news conference to describe how their unique and successful partnership has not only saved the former Bob Hope Classic but created an event that focuses on helping people live healthier, happier lives.

You can get more details about Thursday’s events by watching the video below and checking out the photos above.

The latest updates on the tournament, which goes through Sunday, January 20, can be found on the Humana Challenge website.

 Related links:

• @HumanaChallenge (Twitter)
• Humana Challenge Facebook
• Humana Challenge YouTube
• @humananews (Twitter)

President Bill Clinton opens the second annual “Health Matters: Activating Wellness In Every Generation” Conference on Tuesday, January 15, in La Quinta, Calif.

A highlight of Humana Challenge week in La Quinta, Calif., is the Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Conference. The second annual conference, “Health Matters: Activating Wellness in Every Generation,” was held Tuesday, January 15.

The day started early with a frosty outdoor workout led by health and wellness expert Jillian Michaels. National and community leaders, health and well-being advocates, Olympic athletes and celebrities then gathered to lead discussions on topics such as “Health Transformation,” “Mental Health and Addiction,” and “Healthy Communities.”

In addition to President Bill Clinton and his daughter, Chelsea, participants included Humana Chairman of the Board Mike McCallister, Humana President and CEO Bruce Broussard, Humana well-being ambassador Gary Player, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, Dr. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General, and Dr. Donald Berwick, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“Our goal, our dream, is lifelong well-being, and we hope you see it expressed in everything we are doing – both here and also at the tournament as a whole,” Broussard said during the conference.

Watch our video below to learn more about the day’s events, and visit the Clinton Foundation’s website to get more information about the conference, panelists and discussions.

U.S. service members, shown here at the 2012 Humana Challenge, will once again be offered free grounds admission and access to the Humana Military Outpost.

The Humana Military Outpost will host active duty, Reserve and military retirees at the 2013 Humana Challenge in partnership with the William J. Clinton Foundation.

“We are proud to host members of our country’s military at the Humana Military Outpost as our guests; they deserve the opportunity to have a fun and relaxing time with us while watching many of the world’s best golfers up close,” Humana Challenge Executive Director and CEO Bob Marra said. “The Humana Military Outpost is another way we are carrying on the legacy of our tournament founder, Bob Hope. His passion for this golf tournament and unwavering commitment to entertaining the troops were legendary.”

The Humana Military Outpost, introduced during last year’s inaugural Humana Challenge, is a private hospitality pavilion offering climate-controlled indoor seating, outdoor patio seating and complimentary refreshments. The tournament also will offer free grounds admission to active military and veterans and their dependents.

Humana is looking forward to next month’s activities, the action on the course and welcoming veterans to the 2013 Humana Challenge Jan. 14-20 in La Quinta, Calif.

“We’re excited to once again host military men and women at the Humana Military Outpost,” said Mike McCallister, Humana’s Chairman and CEO. “Humana’s close connection to our Armed Forces dates back to the 1990s when Humana Military Healthcare Services was formed. Today, we’re proud to administer health coverage for approximately 3 million active duty and retired military through the TRICARE program.”

Related links
Media Day kicks off 2013 Humana Challenge
Humana Challenge Website
Humana Challenge Twitter
Humana Challenge Facebook

Humana associate Alison Woodcock enjoyed a ride in an IndyCar during a fundraising event for Racing For Kids on Dec. 11 in Louisville, Ky.

A partnership with national nonprofit Racing For Kids® gave Humana associates an opportunity to donate $10,000 to help sick children while experiencing the thrill of racing through downtown Louisville, Ky., in the back of an IndyCar.

“As a company we focus on a lot of important issues,” said Mike McCallister, Humana CEO and Chairman of the Board, as he kicked off the Dec. 11 fund-raising event. “One of them is health and well-being, and especially the education and health of children. We love this program. It moves around the country, visiting children’s hospitals, taking a little of their pain and distraction away from them in a really fun way.”

Humana hosted IndyCar drivers and two Indy-style racecars at a fund-raising event at Humana’s headquarters building in Louisville and asked associates to show their support for sick children. Within a few hours, associates had donated $10,000 to the program. Any associate who donated $100 was offered a ride around the block near Humana’s headquarters building in an IndyCar. Associates who gave $15 were invited to sit in an IndyCar parked in the Humana building lobby, and had their picture taken.

“Since 2004, the support of Humana and Mike McCallister has been critical to the success of Racing For Kids,” said Racing For Kids CEO Pat Wright. “I cannot over-emphasize that fact. There are thousands of hospitalized children who our drivers were able to visit and whose days we were able to brighten because of the support of Humana and The Humana Foundation.”

Founded in Detroit in 1989, Racing For Kids helps fund the health-care needs of children. Hospital visits form the heart of the program, with professional drivers visiting with sick youngsters, posing for pictures, signing autographs and handing out prizes. Drivers like Danica Patrick, Tony Kanaan and Al Unser, Jr. have participated.

The Louisville Veteran’s Day Parade passes by the Humana Building on Nov. 11, 2011.

In August 2011, Humana pledged to hire 1,000 military veterans and veterans’ spouses by late 2014. A year later, the company’s efforts are ahead of schedule. Since making its commitment, Humana has hired 677 former servicemen and servicewomen or their spouses in a wide variety of fields – from nursing to information technology to pharmacy and data analytics.

Humana recently reported on its progress in a letter to President Barack Obama. The letter details not only Humana’s efforts to hire and train military veterans and their spouses, but also the many ways Humana helps prepare veterans to re-enter the civilian workplace and support them once they get there. Read the letter here.

Mike McCallister and Bill Clinton watch the action at the 2012 Humana Challenge.

The 2012 Humana Challenge, in partnership with the Clinton Foundation, was named “Sports Event of the Year” at the fifth-annual Sports Business Awards in New York on Wednesday, May 23.

“Winning “Sports Event of the Year” is an unbelievable honor for the Humana Challenge,” said Mike McCallister, Humana Chairman and CEO. “It really speaks to the commitment of our partners and the Coachella Valley community in making this event successful. We were also proud that spectators, fans and viewers rallied around our dream of helping people achieve lifelong well-being that we and the Clinton Foundation worked to emphasize throughout the tournament. We’re humbled by the success of the event and will continue to instill healthy activities throughout the years to come.”

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