KaBOOM! nominated groups honored with President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Community Leadership Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, December 9, 2010

Contact: Mike Vietti
KaBOOM!
mvietti@kaboom.org
785-320-2137

WASHINGTON D.C.—The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN) has chosen five organizations nominated by non-profit KaBOOM! to receive a 2010 PCFSN Community Leadership Award. The award is given annually to individuals and organizations who improve the lives of individuals within their community by providing or enhancing opportunities to engage in sports, physical activities, fitness or nutrition-related programs.

KaBOOM! submitted nominations on behalf of Boltage (Boulder, Colo.), Learning Landscapes (Denver), Playworks (Oakland, Calif.), S.W.I.T.C.H. (Minneapolis, Minn.) and Transportation Alternatives (New York City). Each of the programs was featured in “Play Matters” – the KaBOOM! report on innovative practices designed to support play among children.

Boltage, formerly Freiker (short for “frequent biker”), is a parent and volunteer-driven nonprofit that uses incentives and innovative technology to increase the number of elementary school children regularly bicycling and walking to school.

Learning Landscapes is an entrepreneurial public-private partnership that designs and builds comprehensive outdoor play spaces at schools across Denver. The design-and-build process provided an opportunity for schools to partner with parents, students, businesses, and civic leaders in the design of community play places.

Playworks provides full-day play and physical education programming at low-income schools. The Playworks model uses coaches trained to facilitate play during the school day. As a result of the program, schools report fewer incidents of violence, suspensions, and expulsions, as well as improved behavior in the classroom.

“Switch What You Do, View, and Chew” is a community and family-based program designed to encourage 8 to 10 year-old children to change three critical health behaviors, all of which are proven risk factors for childhood obesity. The program aims to increase children’s physical activity (“Switch What You Do”), decrease their screen time (“Switch What You View”), and increase their fruit and vegetable consumption (“Switch What You Chew”).

Transportation Alternatives spearheaded a grassroots effort using new media tools to develop public awareness and build support for increases in applications for block parties and high profile street closures in an effort to create additional places for children to play.

“It is our pleasure to present this award to Freiker, Learning Landscapes, Playworks, S.W.I.T.C.H. and Transportation Alternatives,” says Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. “Physical activity and good nutrition are important components of living a healthy lifestyle, and we are pleased to recognize organizations that are committed to making a difference and positively influencing the health of their communities.”

“We knew publishing these innovative concepts in the KaBOOM! Play Matters report was an important step in raising the profile of play and highlighting effective local strategies,” says KaBOOM! CEO Darell Hammond. “We’re pleased KaBOOM! could help bring additional recognition to these outstanding organizations and hope to see their programs implemented in cities and towns across the country.”

This year, the President’s Council presented the Community Leadership Award to 28 individuals and organizations across the country for making sports, physical activity, fitness, and nutrition-related programs available in their communities.

About PCFSN
The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN) is a committee of up to 25 volunteer citizens appointed by the President to serve in an advisory capacity through the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Through its programs and partnerships with the public, private and non-profit sectors, PCFSN acts as a catalyst to promote healthy lifestyles through fitness, sports and nutrition programs and initiatives that educate, empower and engage Americans of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. For more information about PCFSN, visit www.fitness.gov.