UnitedHealth Group said it will pay for the college education of George Floyd's children and donate more than $10 million to help Twin Cities neighborhoods hurt by the riots of the past week.

After Floyd died while in Minneapolis police custody, an offshoot of peaceful protests turned violent, resulting in days of looting and destruction in both Minneapolis and St. Paul.

UnitedHealth said it would donate $5 million and up to 25,000 hours of its employees' volunteer time to help businesses — many of them small and minority-owned — to rebuild.

The Minnetonka-based health care giant also said it needed to "address the larger societal issues at the root of George Floyd's death," so it is donating another $5 million to the YMCA Equity Innovation Center of Excellence in Floyd's memory.

"George Floyd's death is an unspeakable tragedy. Communities all across America are struggling to make sense of what's happened and how we as a society pull together to move forward, heal, learn and grow," said UnitedHealth CEO David Wichmann in a statement.

UnitedHealth, he said, is committed to building a culture of inclusivity and diversity.

The insurance company's effort is one of many acts of goodwill following several violent days. Individuals in neighborhoods stepped up to help protect businesses, and others raised money, gathered food to give out or started scrubbing graffiti off storefronts.

Greater Twin Cities United Way spokeswoman Kelly Puspoki said other Minnesota companies and citizens are also reaching out to see how they can support the Floyd family and various community rebuilding efforts.

Dee DePass • 612-673-7725