Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge Role Models Give First Progress Report on Nickelodeon Sunday, June 4, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT
Almost 26,000 Kids Nationwide Have Signed Up to Participate in the Challenge
Personal Video Diaries of the Four Real Kids Unveiled June 5 on TurboNick
Public Service Announcements Featuring Former President Clinton and Governor Mike Huckabee Debut on Nickelodeon June 1
The next installment of the Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge, which focuses on four kids′ real life struggles and successes to make their lives healthier over a five month period, airs Sunday, June 4, 2006, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon.
The 12 minute segment on June 4 will update viewers on the progress of 11-year-old Chris, the "Activist"; 13-year-old Bianca, the "Emerging Athlete"; 14-year-old Wes, the "Barrier Breaker"; and 11-year-old Ayesha, the "Health Warrior", as they take first steps towards a healthier lifestyle. The role models will meet their local "challenge" coaches for the first time, who help guide each of the kids in their action plans towards healthier lifestyles.
TurboNick, Nickelodeon′s online broadband video service available on Nick.com, will debut personal footage from the four role models personal video diaries on June 5, after the on-air update. This streaming content of the kids will take a deeper look behind-the-scenes of their daily challenges and conquests.
Across the country, kids have been inspired by the Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge, a program by Nickelodeon and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation - a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. In just three weeks time, almost 26,000 kids, from every state in the U.S., have signed up on www.Nick.com/letsjustplay to take the Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge on their own. More than 2 million total viewers tuned into the Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge kick-off special on April 30 when the campaign launched, with almost 65,000 streams on TurboNick since the campaign launched.
Beginning June 1, Nickelodeon will debut two new public service announcements (PSAs) on-air, one featuring President Clinton and another featuring Governor Mike Huckabee. As part of Nickelodeon′s partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, President Clinton and Governor Huckabee participated in PSAs for the network that speak to kids about why it′s important to stay healthy and active, speaking about their personal experiences as kids. These will join the roster of PSAs already on Nick′s air, which focus on various health and wellness aspects such as the importance of breakfast, and the network′s "How to be Well" series.
Also in June, Nickelodeon and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation will begin to roll out a community activation plan surrounding the LetÕs Just Play Go Healthy Challenge. Aimed at building awareness among young people about the importance of eating well and being physically fit, and empowering kids and families to be agents of change in their communities, the plan will include partnering with local state officials, network affiliates, and campaign partners to instill the Challenge in their communities. Local Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge events will also take place during August and September.
Nickelodeon magazine also features Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge monthly activities and stories to inspire kids and encourage them to participate. The August issue will feature tips from both tennis superstar Serena Williams and skateboarding guru Tony Hawk about getting into a new sport, just like the "Emerging Athlete" in the Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge.
The Let′s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge will culminate in a celebration of the kids on-air and all the kids around the nation who have taken part in the movement to get healthy with NickelodeonÕs third annual Worldwide Day of Play on September 30, 2006. During Worldwide Day of Play, the network goes dark both on-air and online with only graphics telling kids to get up, go out side and play.
About The Alliance for a Healthier Generation
The Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association partnered in May of 2005 to create a new generation of healthy Americans by addressing one of the nation′s leading public health threats Ð- childhood obesity. The initiative will focus on preventing childhood obesity and creating healthier lifestyles for children overall.
The Alliance aims to target several areas that the group hopes will spark change and slow the increasing rates of childhood obesity in the U.S., and encourage healthier lifestyles for young people. The effort will focus on four key areas: industry; schools, healthcare professionals and kids.
For more information on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, please visit: www.healthiergeneration.org.
