YMCA receives grant

Friday, June 15, 2007

Nevada Daily Mail

PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, has awarded the Osage Prairie YMCA a grant for $2,500 in support of health and wellness programs related to YMCA Activate America, a long-term initiative designed to strengthen and promote the YMCA's abilities to help more Americans live healthier lives. The grant is one of 400 that PepsiCo is allocating to local YMCAs across the country, for a total of $1 million.

Specifically, the grant money will be used to help develop an after school program for elementary aged children emphasizing the importance of the USDA Food guide and Activity pyramids. Geomats, Yoga, strength training, games and other physical activities will help demonstrate the importance of physical activity and that fitness can be fun.

Nutrition education will encourage preparation of healthy meals and snacks. The overall goal of the program is to help children make lifestyle changes that involve smart food choices and increased physical activity to help them maintain a healthy weight. The program helps to recognize and cultivate children's talents and aspirations in a nurturing, noncompetitive environment. This environment fosters self-esteem, body satisfaction, and a positive body image, qualities that facilitate health promoting behaviors.

"Through our long-term alliance, PepsiCo and the YMCA share a common goal to find better ways to help Americans lead healthier, more active lifestyles," said Stephanie Rath, senior marketing manager, PepsiCo Health and Wellness Team. "Working together, we have tremendous potential to encourage individuals and families to become more physically active and make better nutritional choices across the country."

YMCA Activate America is an ambitious public health initiative that leverages the YMCA's national network of YMCAs and commitment to healthy living to address our nation's health crisis related to poor nutrition and lack of physical activity among millions of Americans especially children and youth.

The program is making healthy living reality by: helping YMCAs better support individuals who continuously try but are unable to sustain a commitment to healthy living; helping YMCAs reduce community barriers and increase community supports for healthy living; and helping YMCAs collaborate across public, private and not-for-profit sectors to make an impact on the nation's health crisis.

In partnership with the YMCA, PepsiCo is committed to playing a responsible and constructive role in health and wellness. The company recognizes its responsibility to encourage people to adopt healthier, active lifestyles -- beginning with its products. In 2004, PepsiCo launched the Smart Spot symbol -- the green symbol of Smart Choices Made Easy that is designed to make it easier for consumers to identify PepsiCo products that contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

Products that feature the Smart Spot symbol meet established nutrition criteria based on authoritative statements from the Food and Drug Administration and the National Academy of Sciences or provide other functional benefits. The Smart Spot symbol appears on nearly 300 PepsiCo products including Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice, Aquafina water, Gatorade Thirst Quencher, Baked! Lays, Quaker Oatmeal and Diet Pepsi, among others.

"We are very grateful to PepsiCo's support of our health and wellness initiatives," said Tedd Maxfield, Executive Director at the Osage Prairie YMCA. "They know, as we do, that to reverse the obesity epidemic, Americans must change the dangerous course of physical inactivity and poor nutrition that threaten the long-term health of our county."

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