Cascade Bicycle Club would like to extend a BIG thank you to Group Health for supporting our events and programs as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our partnership in 2013.

Team Group Health members pose for a picture at the Group Health Bike to Word Day station

The Group Health Cooperative, commonly known as Group Health, is a Seattle-based nonprofit health care organization that today provides coverage and care for 700,000 people in Washington and Idaho.

With a mission to improve the health and well-being of the members and the communities they serve, Group Health is an active sponsor of many health and fitness events and created the Group Health Fitness Network to encourage their members, employees and the community to get active and stay active as part of their personal health journey. As part of their long-standing commitment to the well-being of the community, Group Health supports cycling through event sponsorship and promotion of bicycle safety.

Group Health came aboard in 2003 as the title sponsor of Cascade’s Seattle to Portland Classic. Soon, Group Health funding also helped organize events like Flying Wheels, RSVP and the Commute Challenge.

In addition to our events, Group Health has been a big supporter of the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation, providing sponsorship dollars for the “Give 3 Feet” campaign, summer camps, Basics of Bicycling and the Major Taylor program.

“Our interest in Cascade and bicycling as a whole was threefold. We wanted to support something that speaks to our health and wellness mission, have a stake in the ground to really make a difference in the community through a long-range commitment, and support something that is accessible to our members, staff and their families,” said Damien King, community relations manager at Group Health.

In addition to bike commuting and recreational bicycling, Group Health is also a recognizable supporter of the local bike racing scene. They previously were the title sponsor of the state’s only velodrome, and continue to be the primary sponsor of the largest women’s racing team in the Pacific Northwest, Team Group Health.

“We have diversified our Fitness Network in the last few years to include swimming, walking, running and triathlon but cycling has been a constant focus,” said King.

When King started working for Group Health, he wasn’t a cyclist, and it was through the sponsorship work that he became interested.

“I did not cycle until only recently. I had so much pressure from people to start riding since we were sponsoring all these cycling events, so I bought a road bike and rode the STP in 2009, 2010 and 2011,” said King, adding that he’s also completed the Chilly Hilly, Flying Wheels and RSVP.

“Our CEO has a similar story. He was not a cyclist, and we talked him onto riding STP to support our mission and our sponsorship. He has since ridden events with his wife and many executives,” said King. “An article a few years ago in The New York Times said that cycling is the new golf for meeting with executives and that is definitely true at Group Health.”

We are very grateful to continue the partnership we have with Group Health. Over the past nine years, Group Health has been a very generous sponsor, and by proudly adding their name to our events, we help Group Health reach their goals to raise public awareness of the health benefits of an active lifestyle.

We’d like to thank Group Health for their sponsorship and for sharing our vision to build better communities through bicycling.

Learn more about Group Health on their website and follow them on Twitter and Facebook. And if you’re a Group Health member, you can get a discount on popular Cascade events like the STP, Chilly Hilly and Flying Wheels.