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September 3, 2003 Contact: Elizabeth Ann Chandler 202-822-9491 NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE MAKES MAJOR COMMITMENT TO HEALTHIER SCHOOLS Announces $2 Million Grant to “Action for Healthy Kids” Washington, D.C. -- Responding to the nation’s growing childhood obesity problem, National Football League officials today announced a multi-year grant to Action for Healthy Kids, an integrated, national-state effort dedicated to improving child health by making meaningful changes in schools. “Physical activity and good nutrition are essential for all kids -- not just athletes. There has never been a more important time for the NFL to demonstrate its commitment to the health of our younger generation,” said Cedric Jones, NFL Vice President for Youth Football Development. “We’re excited that we can help Action for Healthy Kids improve nutrition and exercise in our schools through programs that are innovative and fun.” The unrestricted grant of $2 million over the next four years was announced Wednesday as part of the 2003 season NFL Kickoff events in Washington, D.C. The NFL funds will be used to further the on-going activities of the Action for Healthy Kids state and national programs. Dr. Richard Carmona, U.S. Surgeon General, hailed NFL’s commitment to help address the country’s growing childhood obesity crisis. “I commend the NFL/AFHK partnership to promote healthy choices for children,” Dr. Carmona said. “We need to encourage kids to get more physically active – it's not whether they're picked first or last as long as they get in the game. Instead of playing games on their computers, I want kids to play games on their playgrounds. School-based programs focusing on nutrition and physical activity offer one of our best opportunities for maximum impact on the health of our children – both today and as they move through adulthood.” Action for Healthy Kids is composed of 51 State Teams (includes all states and District of Columbia) and a partnership of more than 38 national organizations and government agencies spanning the education, health, fitness and nutrition arenas. State teams are made up of a diverse base of volunteers all working to improve nutrition and physical activity in schools at the state and local levels. “The NFL’s support will allow us to greatly expand our efforts to reach schools and address childhood obesity. Research tells us that this will lead to improvements in children’s physical, emotional and economic well being,” said Dr. David Satcher, chairman of Action for Healthy Kids and former U.S. Surgeon General. “This is a touchdown for our nation’s children,” he added. Action for Healthy Kids is working to create school environments that help children develop lifelong habits of healthy living. To achieve these goals, AFHK is focusing on:
The National Football League is America's most popular sports league, comprised of 32 franchises that compete each year to win the Super Bowl, the world's biggest annual sporting event. Founded in 1920, the NFL developed the model for the successful modern sports league, including community involvement, extensive revenue sharing, competitive excellence, strong franchises across the board, and national distribution. The NFL is the industry leader on a wide range of fronts. "BusinessWeek" magazine calls the NFL "one of America's best-run businesses. Launched in October 2002 as an outgrowth of the Healthy Schools Summit in Washington, DC, Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is a non-profit organization established to further the goals of the Summit. Mrs. Laura Bush served as Honorary Chair of the Summit; former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, PhD, served as Summit Chair and serves as Chair for AFHK. More than 35 national organizations and government agencies in the areas of education, health, fitness and nutrition serve as members of the Partner Steering Committee, collaborating with AFHK by providing support, guidance and expertise. For more information, visit www.actionforhealthykids.org. ### Addendum 1: AFHK Partner Steering Committee
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