Vytra Health Plans, a Long Island leader in managed care, and the Greater Long Island Running Club announce a strategic alliance for 2001 to promote running, health and fitness on Long Island.

As part of the joint venture, Vytra will sponsor the following events next year:

* Run for ASPIRE, a 10 Kilometer race through the streets of Plainview to help finance prosthetic devices and rehabilitation for young amputees, victims of bone cancer and traumatic amputations, to be held on April 7;

* Vytra Human Race, a 5-mile race at Heckscher State Park, to benefit Long Island Cares, to be held on April 28;

* Vytra Long Island Women's Run, Long Island's largest and most prestigious road race for women only, to be held on July 14; and

* Vytra-TOBAY Triathlon, the 14th annual running of this multi-sport event to benefit the Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation, the New York State Games for the Physically Challenged and the local environmental organization "Friends of the Bay," to be held on Aug. 19.

"Vytra takes pride in sponsoring local sporting events as part of its mission of serving our communities," said John Kaegi, senior vice president for marketing at Vytra. "We will continue to work closely with local organizations to make these upcoming events successful."

"Working together, Vytra and the Greater Long Island Running Club will be able to accomplish much more for Long Island athletes and the important charities that benefit from our events," said Don Butchin, Greater Long Island Running Club executive and co-director of the Vytra Women's Run.

Vytra Health Plans is a Long Island managed care organization providing health care coverage to over 200,000 members in Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties. Vytra is consistently rated by various organizations for its outstanding level of customer satisfaction among managed care organizations in its region. For more information visit the company's website at www.vytra.com. For more information about the events that Vytra will be sponsoring, visit the Greater Long Island Running Club's website at www.glirc.org.