Soccer Champ Freddy Adu Helps Launch Inaugural NikeGO Afterschool Program at Washington, D.C. Boys & Girls Club
09 December 2004 - 12:17PM
PR Newswire (US)
Soccer Champ Freddy Adu Helps Launch Inaugural NikeGO Afterschool
Program at Washington, D.C. Boys & Girls Club National Program
Kicks Off in D.C. with Future Launches in Chicago, New York and
L.A. WASHINGTON, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today 15-year-old
U.S. National Team and D.C. United soccer player Freddy Adu, along
with U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, D.C. Congresswoman
Eleanor Holmes Norton and other community leaders, met with kids at
the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington to launch the
NikeGO Afterschool program. (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041208/SFW128 Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO ) In
partnership with SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for
Kids), NikeGO Afterschool brings best practice physical activity
programs to kids in after-school programs at Boys & Girls
Clubs, YMCAs, local Parks & Recreation and other facilities.
Beginning in D.C., NikeGO Afterschool will soon also launch
programs in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles, in a total of 42
sites, serving 12,000 kids nationally. "The benefits of physical
activity for children are well-researched, yet many school
districts have reduced the time students spend in physical
education (PE) classes," said Molly White, Director for U.S.
Community Affairs for Nike. "We at NikeGO see after-school programs
as an additional opportunity for kids to accumulate the physical
activity minutes they need, and have designed a program to help
kids be more active and lead healthier, happier lives." "We're
seeing a continued culture in our nation that includes unhealthful
eating and little or no exercise. If today's kids are to grow up to
be a healthy generation of Americans, we need to get them started
down the path to health now," U.S. Surgeon General Richard H.
Carmona said. "In an environment where resources are limited, it's
encouraging to see members of corporate America step up and find
ways to help kids in communities exercise. I congratulate and thank
NikeGO Afterschool for their commitment to our nation's youth and
our nation's health." A member of the U.S. U-20 National Team and
Major League Soccer's D.C. United team, Freddy Adu, who is the
national spokesperson for the NikeGO Afterschool program, was on
hand to assist SPARK trainers in the physical activity session for
kids at the Boys & Girls Club. "I was lucky that I grew up in a
neighborhood, both in Ghana and here in the States, where each day
I could play soccer every chance I got," said Adu. "As a kid, being
active and playing around is an important part of your childhood
and I learned first-hand how much it can help you in keeping your
body and mind healthy. I am happy to be part of NikeGO Afterschool
so the kids in my hometown of Washington, D.C., and other cities
will also benefit from being active and having fun." To provide
more physical activity to children and adolescents ages 5-14,
NikeGO Afterschool and SPARK are providing community after-school
instructors with the tools they need to lead physical activity
sessions that are inclusive, developmentally appropriate and fun.
In addition to the training and lesson plans from SPARK, NikeGO
donates equipment kits of Nike products, valued at more than
$10,000. "Our nation is plagued with public health issues related
to childhood obesity and inactivity," said Congresswoman Eleanor
Holmes Norton (D-DC). "NikeGO Afterschool is an excellent example
of how businesses and communities can work together to provide
healthy lifestyles for kids. I thank NikeGO Afterschool for their
contribution to Washington, D.C." "At the Boys & Girls Club, we
are dedicated to offering positive places for kids. We applaud
NikeGO Afterschool for assisting us in providing fun, physical
activities," said Patricia Shannon, President and CEO of the Boys
and Girls Club of Greater Washington. "Having Freddy Adu as part of
NikeGO Afterschool helps inspire the kids and we really enjoyed
welcoming him as an official member of our clubs." In addition to
launching the NikeGO Afterschool program in D.C., NikeGO also
announced the donation of a FieldTurf mini soccer field that will
be made available for Washington D.C., kids to use. The field is
made possible by joint donation of approximately $100,000 from
NikeGO and FieldTurf. This high-performance, low-maintenance soccer
field incorporates Nike Grind material made from byproduct (or what
was once waste) from the manufacturing of new Nike footwear
outsoles. The field will allow hundreds of kids of all ages the
opportunity to play soccer on a world-class field. 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 NikeGO.com for additional information. About
SPARK SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) is a
research-based organization dedicated to creating, implementing,
and evaluating programs that promote lifelong wellness. Visit
http://www.sparkpe.org/ or call 1-800SPARKPE or e-mail: for more
information. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041208/SFW128
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/19990818/NIKELOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Nike CONTACT: Jill Kinney,
office, +1-503-671-2810, or ; or Maura Keaney, office,
+1-202-659-7902, or cell, +1-202-409-7584, or Web site:
http://nikego.com/
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