AGP Amerigroup Corp.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Oct. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Amerigroup Foundation presented Rep. John Zerwas of Richmond, Texas, with its "Champion for Children" award and contributed $2,500 to the  Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Fort Bend, Texas.

"I'm honored to be recognized by the Amerigroup Foundation," said Rep. Zerwas. "I'd like to thank the folks at CASA, especially the volunteers who stand up for the most vulnerable children in Fort Bend County and work to provide abused and neglected children safe, permanent homes. The volunteers are the true champions."

As chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees funding of Health and Human Services, Rep. Zerwas has worked tirelessly to ensure low-income Texans across the state have improved access to high-quality health care.

"Rep. Zerwas continues to go above and beyond to improve the lives of children and their families," said Aileen McCormick, Amerigroup West Region chief executive officer. "As a public servant, he is a strong leader representing the needs of the most vulnerable citizens across Texas and truly a 'Champion for Children.'"

The award is a part of a national program by the Amerigroup Foundation to recognize outstanding public advocacy efforts by government and community leaders to improve the health and well-being of children across the country.

The Foundation previously honored Rep. Zerwas with the "Champion for Children" award in 2010. The Boys & Girls Club of Wharton, Texas, and the Boys & Girls Club of El Campo, Texas, were each given $1,250 in Zerwas' honor.

About the Amerigroup Foundation

The Amerigroup Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Amerigroup Corporation (NYSE: AGP),

a multistate managed health care company based in Virginia Beach, Va. The Foundation works to create healthy communities by fostering access to health care, encouraging safe and healthy children and families, and promoting community improvement and healthy neighborhoods.

About CASA

The National CASA Association is a network of 946 programs that are recruiting, training and supporting volunteers to represent the best interests of abused and neglected children in the courtroom and other settings.

SOURCE Amerigroup Corporation