News

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Franklin Elementary School qualifies as fitness finalist in Governor’s Challenge Competition

Today, Jake Steinfeld, chairman of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, announced that Franklin Elementary School is one of five finalist schools in the Gold Coast Region and 127 schools state-wide that have been named finalists in the Council’s 2010 Governor’s Challenge Competition, a contest that promotes increased physical activity and better nutrition among California’s youth.

Finalists were selected out of 2,649 participating schools statewide based on the percentage and number of students in the school who successfully completed the Governor’s Challenge of being active 30-60 minutes a day, at least three days a week for a month. Franklin Elementary, which is being named a Governor’s Challenge finalist for the first time, had 100 percent of its students successfully complete the Governor’s Challenge this year.

Each of the school finalists is now under consideration for prizes including 11 brand new fitness centers valued at $100,000 each and 11 Regional Awards of $5,000 each which will be used to buy new physical activity equipment. Award winning schools will be announced at a special ceremony at the Capitol in September.

In addition to being named a finalist for the above prizes, Franklin Elementary is one of 100 schools state-wide that will receive an extra bonus from the Council – a brand new DanceDanceRevolution system that it will receive for recording 124,068 “Active Days” in the Challenge and being one of the top 100 schools in the state in that category. Statewide more than 1.3 million participants recorded more than 11 million days of physical activity through the Governor’s Challenge in 2010. Complete physical activity records of participating schools in the Governor’s Challenge can be found at www.CalGovCouncil.org.

“I’m thrilled to be able to recognize Franklin Elementary school’s efforts. Thank you Principal Killgore, and thank you Priscilla Hernandez, for stepping up as your school’s Governor’s Challenge Coordinator. You are clearly passionate about getting your kids active and making sure they eat well and I’m a big believer that passion leads and everything else follows,” said Steinfeld.

Priscilla Hernandez, Diabetes Reource Center of Santa Barbara County, said, “Since the [January 2009] implementation of the Childhood Obesity Prevention and Wellness Program, the campus and community have made many changes to their lifestyles by increasing physical activity and making better food choices. The students have also made progress in reducing their BMI levels that were rather high at the beginning of this project. Not only are they becoming healthier, they are reducing/preventing the risk of contracting Type II Diabetes. I'm just very proud of the work done at Franklin and want people to know that with some innovative ideas, hard working/tenacious people and the opportunity, you can make a difference in reducing childhood obesity.”

Anthem Blue Cross Foundation is the title sponsor of the Governor’s Council Spotlight Awards that fund the competition’s three grand prize fitness centers. Other sponsors are Coca-Cola Company, CVS/pharmacy, General Mills, Tuff Stuff Fitness Equipment, and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area.

For more information on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, visit www.CalGovCouncil.org