First Lady Michelle Obama Joins Nickelodeon to Turn Off the TV for Worldwide Day of Play, Saturday, Sept. 25

NEW YORK, Sept. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, will join Nickelodeon in celebrating the network's seventh annual Worldwide Day of Play by sharing a special message encouraging kids and families to turn off their televisions and computers and to get out and play, at noon (all times ET/PT) on Saturday, Sept. 25.  Worldwide Day of Play is Nickelodeon's signature health and wellness event marked by its TV channels and websites--including Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, Nick Jr., TeenNick and Nick.com--going off the air and offline from noon to 3 p.m. to inspire kids and families to get up and get active.  Kids in 10 countries and in every state across the U.S. are expected to participate in Worldwide Day of Play at more than 3,000 local events scheduled worldwide.

The First Lady will appear on Nickelodeon at noon on Saturday, Sept. 25, to officially turn the channel off in celebration of Worldwide Day of Play, which is part of Nickelodeon's overall The Big Help health and wellness efforts.  The goal of The Big Help pro-social campaign is to launch a kid-led movement, focusing on four key issues, health and wellness, education, community service, and the environment.  As part of its $1 million commitment to provide grants through The Big Help campaign, Nickelodeon is awarding approximately $50,000 to schools and community organizations across the country to help create and expand opportunities for active play.

"Nickelodeon is honored the First Lady will be lending her support and turning off our channels and web sites in celebration of Worldwide Day of Play," Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group.  "The First Lady is an incredible advocate for improving the health and wellness of kids in this country through her Let's Move campaign and we share her commitment to raising awareness for this important issue.  We know her message will motivate even more kids and families to get active in the true spirit of Worldwide Day of Play."

Earlier this year, Nickelodeon announced a partnership with the First Lady's nationwide Let's Move campaign, which aims to solve the problem of childhood obesity.  Nickelodeon's involvement in Let's Move continues the network's legacy of addressing important issues to kids.  For more than a decade, Nickelodeon has empowered kids and families to live healthier lifestyles, providing them with information and resources; committing millions of dollars and air time to health and wellness messaging through its Let's Just Play and The Big Help pro-social campaigns and its grants program.

Nickelodeon, now in its 31st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids.  It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does.  The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, and feature films.  Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years.  For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon