Blessings in a Backpack, Cigna Foundation and Cigna Provide Weekend Meals to Humphries Elementary School Students on “National Blessings in a Backpack Day”

• Program will feed 200 grade-school students throughout the school year
• More than 365 students will receive food-filled backpacks at kickoff
  tomorrow
• NFL mascot Freddie Falcon takes part in event as part of national
  movement to address childhood hunger

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Two hundred students at Humphries Elementary School will receive
backpacks filled with healthy food each weekend throughout the school
year, made possible through a Cigna Foundation grant to Blessings
in a Backpack. The national child hunger relief non-profit will
implement a three-year program at the school. The kick-off program,
which is sponsored by Cigna (NYSE:CI), will take place tomorrow on
“National Blessings in a Backpack Day,” a national movement during which
cities and local governments across the country will work with local
volunteers to pack bags full of food for hungry schoolchildren.

During a special event tomorrow morning, all 365 Humphries Elementary
School students will receive a backpack. The school assembly will also
feature a special appearance from NFL mascot Freddie Falcon to teach the
students about the importance of proper nutrition for healthy bodies.

“No child should have to go hungry, and together with Cigna and the
Cigna Foundation, we will continue to raise awareness of the extreme
hunger problem our nation and our children face, and encourage others to
get involved to make a difference. Through Blessings in a Backpack, we
can all help to feed the future of America,” said Brooke Wiseman, CEO,
Blessings in a Backpack.

“The Cigna Foundation is committed to building a future where every
child has the opportunity to achieve a healthier, more secure life,”
said David Figliuzzi, executive director of the Cigna Foundation.
“Hunger has a significant impact on a child’s physical, mental and
academic well-being. By working together with Blessings, we can ensure
students come to school each day healthy, engaged and ready to learn.”

“More than one in four children in Georgia face a constant struggle
against hunger,” said Richard Novack, president of Cigna’s Mid-South
market. “Child health and well-being is a primary focus for Cigna, and
we’re proud to work with Blessings in a Backpack as we focus on helping
kids and families stay well.”

Blessings in a Backpack is a results-oriented program that mobilizes
communities, individuals and resources to provide food on the weekends
for elementary school children across America who might otherwise go
hungry. The organization currently provides nearly 3 million hunger-free
weekends to more than 78,000 children in 44 states and the District of
Columbia.

The program is supported nationally and locally by the Cigna Foundation
and Cigna. Child wellness is a key focus of Cigna’s corporate
responsibility platform, Cigna Connects. In addition, Rich
Stephens, Cigna’s vice president of business development, serves on the
Blessings in a Backpack board of directors.

Funding for the food-filled backpacks was provided by the Cigna
Foundation. Cigna and the Cigna Foundation have contributed $450,000 to
Blessings in a Backpack, including a $100,000 World
of Difference grant to expand the program’s reach nationwide.

About Blessings in a Backpack

Blessings in a Backpack, People Magazine’s Charity of 2012, is a
results-oriented program that is designed to feed elementary school
children whose families qualify for the federally funded National School
Lunch Program and have little or no food on the weekends. Better test
scores, improved reading skills, positive behavior, improved health and
increased attendance have all been attributed to the success of this
program. As little as $100 feeds one American school child in our
program for an entire 38-week school year. Blessings in a Backpack is
currently feeding over 78,000 children in 44 states, the District of
Columbia and 700+ schools. Please visit www.blessingsinabackpack.org.
We are Feeding the Future of America® – one school at a time.

About the Cigna Foundation

The Cigna Foundation is a private foundation funded by contributions
from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries. The Cigna
Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to enhancing
the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of their
communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna
employees live and work.

About Cigna

Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense
of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or
through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including
Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life
Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna
Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include
an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental,
behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other
related products including group life, accident and disability
insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has more than 89 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to
follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.

Contacts

Cigna
Lauren Moyer, 215-761-3647
Lauren.Moyer@Cigna.com
or
Blessings
in a Backpack
Beth Bush, 502-295-2555
bethbush@blessingsinabackpack.org