Four New Partners Announce Commitments to Offer Healthier Choices At Partnership for a Healthier America's Annual Summit

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organizations including Dick's Sporting Goods, The North Face, One Medical's Rise and Trinity Health today announced commitments to the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). The commitments were made at the fifth annual Building a Healthier Future Summit convened by PHA, which works with its honorary chair First Lady Michelle Obama and the private sector to create solutions to end the childhood obesity crisis.

"We are honored to be joined by so many unique partners – combined totaling nearly 30 new commitments at this year's summit – in our continued effort to help Americans live full, healthy lives," said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler. "American families have shown us, time and again, that they want healthier choices. And in growing numbers, they are starting to take them when offered.

"We're proud that PHA and its partners have been a major force in achieving the market shift – and we know there is more work to be done. We have much work ahead of us, and we will continue to keep driving toward our mission of ending the childhood obesity epidemic," Soler said.

Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc., one of the largest sporting goods retailers in the nation with 645 locations, and the Dick's Sporting Good Foundation, are proud to join PHA in its effort to encourage healthy lifestyles and improve the wellbeing of today's youth. Dick's has committed to investing $25 million between 2015 and 2017 in organizations and activities that inspire and enable sports participation. The company and its foundation will expand its "Sports Matter" initiative to build awareness around the importance of youth sports and provide funding to youth athletics teams, both at schools and in partnership with community organizations. Dick's will also contribute equipment and financial support to a wide range of youth sports teams, leagues, community organizations and events across the country.

The North Face, the world's premier manufacturer of outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear with a mission to inspire a global movement of outdoor exploration, today announced its commitment to PHA to provide $500,000 in Explore Fund grants to nonprofit organizations in 2016 to connect youth and communities of all backgrounds to the outdoors in meaningful ways. The North Face Explore Fund grants provide access for youth, including those in underserved communities and those with disabilities, to participate in outdoor activities such as skiing, camping, hiking and climbing. The North Face hopes that these outdoor experiences will inspire young people to make positive healthy decisions every day.  

Trinity Health is one of the largest multi-institutional Catholic health care delivery systems in the nation. It serves people and communities in 21 states from coast to coast with 92 hospitals, and 120 continuing care locations that provide nearly 2.5 million visits annually. Trinity Health will implement a new Transforming Communities Initiative that will provide grants for communities to reduce tobacco use, lower childhood obesity rates, support early childhood health and wellness and improve access to nutrition and physical activity opportunities. Additionally, Trinity Health will support PHA's signature program FNV to help drive demand for fruits and vegetables among its communities.

One Medical, the national leader in technology-enabled primary health care, has committed to helping Americans live healthier lifestyles through its nutrition coaching application called Rise. One Medical will provide free nutrition coaching through Rise and the Iowa State University Dietetic Internship Partnership to 500 low-income individuals who have children and a BMI greater than 25. For three months, these individuals will have free access to the Rise app and program which includes a personal nutrition coach, healthy recipe recommendations and exercise tracking. The program is a way for One Medical to help underserved families learn about the importance of health and maintain healthier lives. 

About Partnership for a Healthier America
The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is devoted to working with the private sector to ensure the health of our nation's youth by solving the childhood obesity crisis. In 2010, PHA was created in conjunction with—but independent from—First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! effort. PHA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that is led by some of the nation's most respected health and childhood obesity experts. PHA brings together public, private and nonprofit leaders to broker meaningful commitments and develop strategies to end childhood obesity. Most important, PHA ensures that commitments made are commitments kept by working with unbiased third parties to monitor and publicly report on the progress our partners are making. For more information about PHA, please visit www.ahealthieramerica.org and follow PHA on Twitter @PHAnews.

SOURCE Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA)