The Saucony Run for Good Foundation, established to help combat childhood obesity by providing financial support to community-based youth running or athletic programs, announced its latest round of grant winners. This comes as the nation marks the third anniversary of Lets Move!, a comprehensive initiative launched by First Lady Michelle Obama to solve the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation. Since 2006, the Saucony Run For Good Foundation has awarded over one million dollars to nearly 120 schools and community organizations−all dedicated to preventing childhood obesity through running and an active lifestyle.
Saucony is inviting the running community to help double the brands donations to the selected kids running programs by logging miles run or walked on Saucony Run4Good, the running industrys first-ever iPhone app dedicated to battling childhood obesity. Over the next six months, the selected grant recipients will each be a monthly feature on the app. When a predetermined community mileage goal is reached during the recipients featured month, Saucony will double its contribution to the selected organization, inspiring individual runners to both unite over their passion for running and combat the childhood obesity epidemic. The free Saucony Run4Good app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or at: saucony.com/run4good.
Were a brand focused on runners and social responsibility, said Richie Woodworth, president of the Saucony Run For Good Foundation Board of Directors and Saucony. The mission of the Foundation is to improve the lives of children by further optimizing the impact and success of community organizations that inspire our kids to run. Given the issues facing our nation with childhood obesity, its vital that everyone does their part in increasing awareness and education, added Woodworth.
Though childhood obesity is now part of the national conversation, we still have a long way to go to effectively reverse the trend, said Susan K. Hartman, associate publisher of Runners World magazine and a member of the Saucony Run For Good Board of Directors. All of us need to take action to solve this problem. An easy way to do that is by logging your mileage on the Run4Good app. With every mile, runners earn additional contributions from Saucony for community youth running programs, putting kids back on the fast track to health.
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 6 to 11 is now being considered obese. The numbers are even higher in African American and Hispanic communities, where nearly 40% of the children are overweight or obese. If this problem is not solved, one third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lives. Many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma.
On behalf of the Saucony Run For Good Foundations board, I am excited to announce the organizations that have been selected to receive a Run For Good grant and feel proud that these efforts will directly help combat childhood obesity, said Woodworth.
The following six organizations have been selected to receive a Saucony Run For Good Foundation grant and will be featured on the Saucony Run4Good app during the month designated:
Run Vermont, Burlington, VT (March 2013)
Ready, Set, Run! is a 12-week youth running program administered by Run Vermont, the organizers of the Vermont City Marathon, an event about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Run Vermont engages 1,200 young people in its programs annually. The RFG grant will allow the organization to offer a summer RSR! program in 2013 for economically challenged elementary school children. www.runvermont.org
Men Giving Back Run-4-Life Program, Macon, GA (April 2013)
MGB, a program of Middle Georgia Bucks, Inc. fosters relationships between fathers their children, their families and the communities. The organization will use the RFG grant to expand a running program to augment the school systems PE program. The Run-4-Life program will also have a component for youth who cannot participate in PE due to being overweight, obese or special needs. http://mgbinc.wordpress.com/
Kenton County Board of Education, Fort Wright, KY (May 2013)
The school district will use the RFG grant to establish a new running program available to 4th and 5th graders at ten district elementary schools. Nearly 20% of students in these elementary schools are overweight or obese. The running program will also include instruction related to nutrition, self-esteem, social skills and making appropriate choices. The culminating event will be a 5K run in the spring for all the children.
http://www.kenton.k12.ky.us/
Twin Cities in Motion, St. Paul, MN (June 2013)
The TC Kids Program will use the RFG grant to expand its after school component, Wise Kids In Motion, that teaches children about eating right and making smart nutritional choices while providing a structured running program to promote long-term healthy habits. The organizations goal is to expand the reach to 450 inner-city and suburban youth in fall 2014. https://www.tcmevents.org/
Overland High School Track and Field, Aurora, CO (July 2013)
The track and field team is open to any student interested in participating. Since poverty and obesity are well-documented risk factors for the community, the team will use the RFG grant to supply their student athletes with basic needs, including nutritious meals and running shoes.
http://www.cherrycreekschools.org/Schools/Overland/Pages/default.aspx
Obesity Prevention Center for Children and Youth, Brockton, MA (August 2013)
OPCCY has been serving at-risk overweight and obese children in Brockton since 2005. The RFG grant will be used to enhance and expand an exercise/nutrition education summer program to build a solid foundation of running, exercise and eating habits that lead to healthy, lifelong, lifestyle changes for children. www.obesitypreventioncenter.org
For grant applications on how the Saucony Run For Good Foundation can help local youth communities nationwide, visit www.sauconyrunforgood.com.
