In support of the Jessie Rees Foundation, an estimated 170 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona employees will volunteer their time to fill 1,000 JoyJars with toys, games, and inspirational messages for children fighting cancer. This is the fifth consecutive year that the local health insurance company has supported the nonprofit organization.
The Jessie Rees Foundation was inspired by a courageous and compassionate 12-year-old girl named Jessica Joy Rees who was best known as “Jessie.” Jessie was a faith-filled, athletic, caring, and loving girl who courageously fought cancer (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a brain tumor that is highly aggressive and difficult to treat) from March 3, 2011, to Jan. 5, 2012.
Jessie created JoyJars – 64 oz. plastic jars stuffed to the very top with new, age-appropriate toys and games. She stuffed more than 3,000 JoyJars with family and friends before she lost her fight. To date, more than 400,000 JoyJars have been stuffed and sent to kids fighting cancer in more than 50 countries.
Jessie was the first to coin the term “NEGU,” meaning Never Ever Give Up, which was her motto. Today, NEGU inspires thousands of people every day to be courageous, to be brave, and to persevere no matter the odds.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has always been an integral part in helping Arizona’s communities, and by supporting the Jessie Rees Foundation, the health insurance company continues its mission to inspire health and make it easy.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona is committed to helping Arizonans get healthier faster and stay healthier longer. With a mission to inspire health and make it easy, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona offers health insurance and related services to more than 1.9 million customers. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, a non-profit company, is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The company and its subsidiaries employ more than 2,700 people in its Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson offices. To learn more, visit azblue.com or connect with us on social media: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.
The Jessie Rees Foundation was inspired by a courageous and compassionate 12-year-old girl named Jessica Joy Rees, who was best known as “Jessie.” Jessie was a faith-filled, athletic, caring, and loving girl who courageously fought cancer (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a brain tumor that is highly aggressive and difficult to treat) from March 3, 2011 to January 5, 2012. Jessie created JoyJars – 64 oz. plastic jars stuffed to the very top with new, age-appropriate toys and games. She stuffed more than 3,000 JoyJars with family and friends before she lost her fight. To date, more than 400,000 JoyJars have been stuffed and sent to kids fighting cancer in more than 50 countries. Jessie was the first to coin the term “NEGU,” meaning Never Ever Give Up, which was her motto. Today, NEGU inspires thousands of people every day to be courageous, to be brave, and to persevere no matter the odds. To learn more, visit negu.org.
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