The Saucony Run for Good Foundation, established to help combat childhood obesity by providing financial support to community-based youth running or athletic programs, has announced its twelfth round of grant winners in conjunction with the first “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month” proclaimed by President Obama this September. The five grants include: Youth Enrichment Services of Boston, MA; Annapolis Recreation & Parks of Annapolis, MD; 100 Mile Club of Corona, CA; Bay Area Track Club of Oakland, CA; and Genesee Intermediate School District of Flint, MI.
“At Saucony, our brand mission continues to be inspiring others to run. Our Run For Good Foundation is an extension of that mission, hoping to instill the passion for running within the country’s youth,” said Richie Woodworth, president of the Saucony Run For Good Foundation Board of Directors and Saucony, Inc. “Given the issues facing our nation with childhood obesity, it’s vital that everyone does their part in increasing awareness and education. We’re inspired that the government continues to support this issue as well,” added Woodworth.
Saucony's statement noted that there is growing concern that Americans have for the health of today’s children. A recent poll on childhood obesity conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and American Viewpoint shows that 80 percent of Americans recognize that childhood obesity is a significant and growing challenge for the country, and 50 percent of Americans believe childhood obesity is such an important issue that we need to invest more to prevent it immediately.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 30 years. One of five children age six to 11 is now being considered obese. Stemming from these startling facts, President Obama recently marked September 2011 as the first “National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month,” as a push to get children more physically active.
Since the Run For Good Foundation launched in 2006, it has invested nearly $750,000 in grants to 85 organizations nationwide−all dedicated to preventing childhood obesity through running and an active lifestyle.
The recipients of the latest round of grant winners range from life skills and outdoor adventure programs to a school, recreation and parks department and track club, which all center around not only keeping children active, but teaching ways to live a healthy lifestyle. The following five organizations have been selected to receive a Saucony Run For Good Foundation grant:
Youth Enrichment Services (YES), Boston, MA
Founded by Richard Williams with the mission to take kids out of their neighborhood and show them that they can achieve anything, even something that thought was reserved for more fortunate people. YES started skiing with kids in 1968, added hiking and canoeing in 1976, snowboarding in 1997, and track and field in 2009. Through this grant, YES aims to expand its new track and field/cross-country program by increasing overall participation by 25% in 3 seasons (spring, summer, and fall) as well as putting together a “YES Racing Team”. www.yeskids.org
Annapolis Recreation & Parks (ARPD), Annapolis, MD
ARPD was established in the mid-1960s to provide adequate leisure time and recreation opportunities to the residents of Annapolis and today, it remains dedicated to enhancing the health and quality of life for all residents by providing a variety of programs and activities that encourage physical and social health. In 2007, it launched the Annapolis Mighty Milers that invites children grades three to five to participate in a fitness and running program. This grant will be used to increase participation capacity. www.annapolis.gov
100 Mile Club, Corona, CA
Inspired by the 1992 Summer Olympics, special education teacher Kara Lubin used the universal dream of becoming a gold medalist to inspire her students challenging each one to run or walk 100 miles at school during one school year and earn a gold medal. The 100 Mile Club mission also believes this challenge will lead to new levels of achievement in all areas for participants: academics, athletics, and implementation of the valuable life skills identified in the bricks of Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. The grant will allow 100 Mile Club to reach 1,000 new students. www.100mileclub.com
Bay Area Track Club (BATC), Oakland, CA
The goal of BATC is to develop and support world-class runners and promote healthy and fit living in the Bay Area. Within its organization is the BATC Kids program designed to work with children from Kindergarten to 5th grade, as an after-school program. With athletes and guest speakers, the BATC Kids program will teach the importance of health, fitness, and nutrition through activities and demonstrations with running and other track-related events. The BATC Kids program will use the grant to continue complementing a simple running program with a variety of activities that emphasize a broader scope of health and fitness. www.bayareatrackclub.com
Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD), Flint, MI
As a premier regional service agency, GISD provides leadership that links learners to public schools, the community, the private sector, and public agencies in order to improve education and enhance lifelong learning for all citizens. Serving more than 83,000 students, GISD will be using the grant to establish the Running Club Rocks initiative a running regime to promote healthy lifestyles by incorporating running and walking activities with national facts and group activities. www.geneseeisd.org
For grant applications and more information on how the Saucony Run For Good Foundation can help local youth communities nationwide, visit www.sauconyrunforgood.com.
