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Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health and Andrew Luck, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, are joining forces to help improve the health and wellness of Indiana children. Together, Riley Hospital and Luck will design a statewide program coined "Change the Play," that will focus on encouraging kids to make better choices in the areas of physical fitness, nutrition and education.
Riley and Luck share a vision of improving the future of our state by creating healthier communities. To realize this vision, Riley and Luck aim to motivate children by giving them the information and tools necessary to make healthy choices each and every day.
"This is an ambitious goal but if anyone can make a difference, I believe it will be Riley and Andrew working together," said Dr. Jeff Sperring, president and CEO of Riley at IU Health. "In addition to caring for our patients, we want to see all Hoosier kids grow healthier, stronger, happier. We feel it's our responsibility to give every child access to the best information and advice, and Andrew is a great role model. He has a lot of great ideas and infectious enthusiasm and we're looking forward to shaping this program together."
For Andrew, physical and mental health are philosophically intrinsic. His parents, Oliver and Kathy, raised Andrew and his three siblings with the mindset of making good choices each day. They were instrumental in instilling the importance of exercise and healthy eating from a very early age. Now that Andrew has settled into Indianapolis and his first season is underway, he is ready to extend support to a cause he feels passionate about.
"I know the importance of having good role models in your life," said Luck. "As a kid I was fortunate that my parents embraced a healthy lifestyle and encouraged us to be physically and mentally active, using sport as play. They taught us the benefit of exercise, good nutrition and informed decision making which helped me develop a strong foundation. I believe that by working with Riley, we can help make that kind of difference in the lives of Indiana kids and I am looking forward to it.'
The Riley/Luck "Change the Play" initiative is a minimum four-year partnership and will include programs such as sports performance camps, educational tools for kids and Luck speaking engagements.
About Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health For more than 85 years, Riley at IU Health has been one of the nation's leading children's hospitals. Each year, Riley at IU Health provides compassionate care, support and comfort to 215,000 inpatients and outpatients from across Indiana, the nation and the world. Part of Indiana University Health, the unique partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine gives our highly skilled physicians access to innovative treatments using the latest research and technology. Discover the strength at rileyhospital.org.
