Actors Rico and Raini Rodriguez and Olympic Gold Medalist Joss Christensen join KaBOOM! and Disney Parks to name America’s Most Playful Family Link copied!

April 7, 2014

Washington, D.C.

Star of ABC’s hit sitcom “Modern Family,” Rico Rodriguez and his sister, actress Raini Rodriguez from Disney Channel’s popular “Austin & Ally,” along with Olympic Gold Medalist Joss Christensen, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Jay Harris, and other personalities will soon help KaBOOM! name America’s Most Playful Family.

KaBOOM!, the national non-profit dedicated to ensuring that all children are afforded safe, regular opportunities to play, announced today that Rico, Raini, Joss and Jay will join an all-star panel of judges poised to decide which family will win the title of America’s Most Playful Family, a contest made possible by the support of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

Other high-profile contest judges include: Eric Garcetti, mayor of Los Angeles; Richard Wiese, author and host of Born to Explore TV; Rob DeMartini, CEO of New Balance; Stephanie White, member of the KaBOOM! Board of Directors; and Liza Sullivan and Cyndi Nguyen, both KaBOOM! playmakers.

KaBOOM! asked families to share stories and pictures of themselves in all of the creative and active ways they play together. Fifty of these families were selected to move on to the next round of the contest. Semi-finalists have been asked to create a fun short video, bringing to life the ways they play together and showcasing why play matters to them.

The judging panel, in conjunction with KaBOOM!, will review the video submissions to pick the grand prize winner and unveil the victors at the end of May.

The winning family will receive a trip for four to one of the most playful places on earth–either Walt Disney World® Resort or Disneyland® Resort–and they will be given the prestigious title of “America’s Most Playful Family.”

KaBOOM! received fun and playful entries from families in all 50 states.

“We have received submissions from an extraordinarily diverse cross-section of American life, from the family who can’t afford a karate lesson but serves up a dance party with dinner, to the parents who hand their kids a soccer ball instead of an iPad,” said James Siegal, Executive Vice President & COO of KaBOOM!.

“We are honored to have this group of high-caliber judges help us make the hard decision of naming just one family ‘America’s Most Playful.’ Each of our judges are role-models for all of us, not only through their work, but also in the strong commitment they have to making play with their own families a high priority in their every day lives.”

Check out the family stories and get all the latest contest updates by following KaBOOM! on Facebook and Twitter, or searching  #playfulfamily.