NIKEGO HEAD START COMES TO NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD OBESITY EPIDEMIC
Nacogdoches, Texas is One of 12 New Cities For NikeGO Head Start in 2006-2007
WASHINGTON,
D.C.///October 12, 2006//Nacogdoches is the latest stop for NikeGO Head Start, a first-of-its-kind initiative to get kids physically active starting at a young age. Nike and the National Head Start Association (NHSA) along with SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) announced today that the Nacogdoches is one of 12 new sites where the program will be offered in 2006-2007.
Greater East Texas Community Action Program Health Specialist Kamisha Floyd said: “We consider ourselves extremely lucky to be in one of the cities chosen for the NikeGO Head Start program. The kids will love the activities that teachers can learn from this program. This is a great learning experience and we intend to use what we learn with our kids in so they can appreciate the benefits of a healthy, active lifestyle from their earliest years.”
NHSA President and CEO Sarah Greene said: “Childhood obesity has been a growing problem in our country over the past few years. The best time to reach these children and their parents is when they are young so they can learn the importance of physical activity so it will become part of their lifestyle as they grow. Head Start always has been focused on the entire family, not just the kids, as an important component of their education and development. The NikeGO Head Start Initiative teaches parents along with their kids so physical activity becomes a family thing.”
In its first two years, NikeGO Head Start has trained 320 teachers in eight cities reaching an estimated 30,000 Head Start preschoolers. The program currently operates in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, DC, Orlando, Anchorage, Memphis, and Portland. The additional 12 cities are being selected primarily based on the prevalence of childhood obesity among preschoolers.
NHSA’s Board Chairman Ron Herndon, said this initiative builds on a seven-year relationship between Nike and the National Head Start Association. Currently the largest private funder of NHSA, Nike is issuing a series of one-year grants, with specific performance requirements, totaling $2.5 million over five years. Herndon is the individual responsible for Nike’s long term commitment to Head Start.
NikeGO Head Start has made noticeable gains in the battle against childhood obesity over the first two years of the program in the eight cities it has served. In addition to battling childhood obesity, the NikeGO Head Start Initiative was created to encourage young children and the adults in their lives to engage in movement activities every day and to develop a lifelong commitment to physical activity and a healthy lifestyle.
NikeGO Head Start understands how parents can play a critical role in raising healthy children and provides them with the resources to replicate the program’s activities in the home. In addition to receiving the Playbook and SPARK training, participating Head Start sites will receive Nike donated equipment necessary to implement the program – including parachutes, easy-to-catch balls, beanbags and balance beams.
CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, for NHSA, 703-276-3265 or aaaron@hastingsgroup.com.
About NHSA
The National Head Start Association (http://www.nhsa.org) is a private not-for-profit membership organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of Head Start children and their families. It represents more than 1 million children, 200,000 staff and 2,600 Head Start programs in the United States. The Association provides support for the entire Head Start community by advocating for policies that strengthen services to Head Start children and their families; by providing extensive training and professional development to Head Start staff; and by developing and disseminating research, information, and resources that enrich Head Start program delivery.
About NikeGO
NikeGO is Nike's signature U.S. community affairs initiative and the company’s long-term commitment to getting kids more physically active. The program's mission is to increase physical activity in youths, offering them the support and motivation to become physically active, stay healthy and have fun. In its most recent fiscal year, Nike contributed more than $10.5 million in cash and products and served more than 150,000 kids through its programs and partnerships. Visit http://www.nikego.com for additional information.
About SPARK
SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) is a research-based physical activity program dedicated to creating, implementing, and evaluating programs that promote lifelong wellness. Visit http://www.sparkpe.org or call 1-800SPARKPE or e-mail: spark@sparkpe.org for more information. |
