Boys & Girls Clubs Of America Youth Leaders Convene For National Summit On Fighting Childhood Obesity

2012 Women's Boxing Olympic Medalist Marlen Esparza Headlines Diverse Group of Athletes, Activists and Experts to Work with Kids from Around the U.S. on Community Action Plans

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Experts agree childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, with three in 10 U.S. kids either overweight or obese. Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) joined forces with notable Olympic athletes and youth leaders for the Triple Play Leadership Summit to provide a forum for young people to develop their own solutions for confronting the obesity crisis in their communities.

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The Leadership Summit took place at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado and featured American boxer Marlen Esparza, who earned the Bronze Medal in Women's Boxing at the 2012 Olympics. The weekend symposium focused on community action and engaged approximately 127 Boys & Girls Club kids and staff—representing 42 Clubs from around the U.S.—who were selected based on their commitment to enriching and improving their communities.

At the conclusion of the event, participating youth developed action plans for how they will combat obesity in their own communities by the end of the year. The young leaders will implement such activities as cleaning up parks, reforming school lunch menus and organizing walks and runs to help put other young people on a better path for healthy lifestyles.

"Like many challenges kids face today, the childhood obesity crisis can seem daunting because it has many factors and implications that extend far beyond this generation," said Esparza. "It was invigorating to be surrounded by so many motivated kids who are taking ownership of this issue and proposing solutions that are developed by kids for kids. It gives me tremendous hope."

The Triple Play Leadership Summit is a component of the BGCA Triple Play program, supported by founding sponsor Coca-Cola and the WellPoint Foundation, which encourages kids ages 6-18 to eat a balanced diet (mind), become more physically active (body) and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships (soul). Other participants in the Summit included:

• Mechelle Lewis Freeman:graduate of University of South Carolina, a 2007 Pan American double Silver-Medalist and a 2008 Olympian in the Beijing Olympics.
• Robert Jackson:nationally renowned speaker, author, consultant, trainer and CEO of Lavelle Publishing and Nova Concept Speakers; former member of Boys & Girls Club of Indianapolis.
• Dyci Manns:2011 graduate from the University of Georgia, world traveler and Executive Director of MODEL26.
• Dwight Perry:Founder of Perry International, a regular contributor to TV show "Focus Atlanta," and author of The Answer: The Key to Impact Development.
• Scott Rigsby:world record holder for double below-the-knee amputee in Full Marathon, Half Marathon, and International Triathalon and 2006 USA Triathlon Team member.
• Erika Von Heiland Strader:two-time U.S. Olympian, Pan American medalist, selected as U.S. Olympic ambassador for 2012 games, Director of Community Marketing at Coca-Cola.

"The Triple Play program is the premier healthy lifestyles initiative within our organization. The number of obese or overweight children today is more than three times what it was just a generation ago, so this effort is a key part of our commitment to addressing childhood obesity," said Judith Pickens, Senior Vice President, Program & Youth Development Services, BGCA. "Through this Summit, we look forward to having hundreds of young people extend the Triple Play message and impact beyond Boys & Girls Clubs and into their surrounding communities." 

At the event, Boys & Girls Club kids participated in a mini-Olympic experience where they received hands-on tips from Olympians in a variety of sports. They also engaged in various training activities, including broadcast journalism, public relations and community service. All participants also took part in at least 60 minutes of exercise during their stay.

"Community health challenges are best met with a coordinated community response," said Lance Chrisman, executive director of the WellPoint Foundation. "The WellPoint Foundation is proud to support Triple Play because we know that healthy habits can last a lifetime and that today's youth are tomorrow's leaders. We look forward to seeing the many outstanding local projects and health-improving efforts that will result from this Leadership Summit."

"Physical activity and nutrition education are the most important, teachable components in health and wellness," said Erika Von Heiland Strader, Director, Community Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company. "By supporting the Triple Play program and the Triple Play Leadership Summit, we are not only preparing the youth to live more active lives – we are preparing them for brighter futures."

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America
For more than 100 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (GreatFutures.org) has enabled young people most in need to achieve great futures as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Today, nearly 4,000 Clubs serve some 4 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native American lands throughout the country and on U.S. military installations worldwide. They provide a safe place, caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Club programs promote academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. In a Harris Survey of alumni, 57 percent said the Club saved their lives. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/bgca.clubs and http://bgca.org/twitter.

About Coca-Cola
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world's most valuable brand, our Company's portfolio features 15 billion dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please www.thecoca-colacompany.com or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo.

About the WellPoint Foundation
The WellPoint Foundation is the philanthropic arm of WellPoint, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the inherent commitment of WellPoint, Inc. to enhance the health and well-being of individuals and families in communities that WellPoint, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on strategic initiatives that address and provide innovative solutions to health care challenges, as well as promoting the Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets specific disease states and medical conditions. These disease states and medical conditions include: prenatal care in the first trimester, low birth weight babies, cardiac morbidity rates, long term activities that decrease obesity and increase physical activity, diabetes prevalence in adult populations, adult pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations and smoking cessation. The Foundation also coordinates the company's annual associate giving campaign and provides a 50 percent match of associates' campaign pledges. To learn more about the WellPoint Foundation, please visit www.wellpointfoundation.org.

SOURCE Boys & Girls Clubs of America