As part of a continuing series that will be running every Thursday, we’re going to be featuring the backgrounds and services of our numerous sponsors and partners. Furthermore, we’re going to exhibit how their relationship with us is making an impact in the lives of youth and in the community. Today, our focus is on our largest corporate partner, Franciscan Alliance:
Hospital Overview:
A trusted leader in providing faith-based, integrated health care, Franciscan Alliance 
brings together the latest technology, innovative procedures and the brightest, most compassionate people to serve their patients in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. Throughout their 13 hospitals and many medical practices, the hospital offers a number of nationally recognized Centers of Health Care Excellence.
​For more than 135 years, Franciscan Alliance has stayed true to their founding mission to care for everyone who comes through their door. Franciscan Alliance treats their patients with the best possible care by following the guiding ethical values embodied by their founding congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. Always mindful of their Christian stewardship to the Roman Catholic Church, they minister with joy, care and compassion according to the ideals of St. Francis of Assisi and their founder, Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel.
Relationship With Nine13sports:
Our relationship with Franciscan Alliance materialized on the second day of the 2014 WTHR Health & Fitness Expo, when Larry Meade, Marketing Director of Franciscan St. Francis Health in southern Indianapolis, approached our Founder and Executive Director, Tom Hanley, about creating a relationship with Nine13. In addition to conversing with Tom about the potential relationship, he discussed his vision and goals regarding the partnership and ways our unique Kids Riding Bikes program could make a positive impact on the community and highlight the importance of physical activity in living a healthy lifestyle.
Our relationship with Franciscan Alliance originated at WTHR Health & Fitness Expo in 2014.
Fast forward a year-and-a-half later and they represent our largest corporate partner. Once our partnership became official in June of 2014, we proceeded at a fast pace during the ensuing fall semester by delivering 10 days of school programming in Morgan County, in which we served 300 individual kids and created over 1,500 youth interactions.  In 2015, the support from Franciscan Alliance allowed us to  make a much wider impact and do more, including:
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Provide 50 days of school programs which served  1,600 individual youth and created 8,000 total interactions.
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Provide multiple community impact days at different events.
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Have over 1,000 individuals participate on our bikes at the WTHR Health Expo.
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Have students pedal over 10,000 combined miles on our bicycle simulators.
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Work with multiple new school districts and grow at a pace that has seen us have demand from across Indiana for our program.
Because of the support from Franciscan Alliance, these were just a few of the 1,600 students that rode our bikes in 2015.
As well as getting thousands of kids to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle by the simple tool of a bicycle, our partnership with Franciscan Alliance has given us the opportunity to work with the employees of the hospital and better their overall health and well-being. This past May we launched an employee wellness program called, “Pedaling for Tomorrow.” This 8-week program included educational links on cycling and cycling events, incentives to reward their hard work, Bicycle Garage Indy clinic schedule dates and information, motivational quotes, tracking of their cycling activities on the interactive, “May My Ride”, application, and much more!
Needless to say, we’re beyond thankful to everyone at Franciscan Alliance and their belief in our vision and the impact that we have in the community, in addition to supporting the continued growth of our organization. The example that you have set to other hospitals by getting involved with the community and making a positive influence on today’s youth is a representation of how strong your leadership is.  Your direct impact, not just on Nine13sports, but on schools within Morgan and Marion Counties has helped provide opportunity for students to further understand the importance of healthy living and exercise and what a great tool the bicycle is to deliver that message.
Thanks again for all you have done and the example you have set for others in the healthcare industry when talking about community impact and engagement.
For more on Franciscan Alliance, check out their website.
brings together the latest technology, innovative procedures and the brightest, most compassionate people to serve their patients in Indiana, Illinois and Michigan. Throughout their 13 hospitals and many medical practices, the hospital offers a number of nationally recognized Centers of Health Care Excellence.
