Four Kern schools finalists in state fitness contest

Bakersfield.com

NEWS RELEASE

June 22, 2010

SHAFTER SCHOOLS QUALIFY AS FITNESS FINALISTS

Golden Oak Elementary and Redwood Elementary to be considered for prizes worth up to $100,000

Los Angeles, Calif. – Jake Steinfeld, Chairman of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, announced today that Golden Oak Elementary and Redwood Elementary in Shafter are two of 19 schools in the Central Valley 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.  The 19 Central Valley Region school finalists are:

·  A.M. Thomas Middle in Lost Hills

·  Bullard Talent Project in Fresno

·  Clovis North High in Fresno

·  Del Rey Elementary in Del Rey

·  Del Vista Elementary in Delano

·  Dunlap Elementary in Dunlap

·  Fairmount Elementary in Sanger

·  Firebaugh Middle in Firebaugh

·  Golden Oak Elementary in Shafter

·  Granite Ridge Intermediate in Fresno

·  Jackson Elementary in Sanger

·  John S. Wash Elementary in Fresno

·  Lincoln Elementary in Sanger

·  Lone Star Elementary in Fresno

·  Princeton Street Elementary in Delano

·  Redwood Elementary in Shafter

·  Ridgecrest Charter in Ridgecrest

·  Ronald W. Reagan Elementary in Sanger

·  Tamarack Elementary in Avenal

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.  Redwood Elementary, which is being named a Governor’s Challenge finalist for the 1st time and Golden Oak Elementary, which is being named a Governor’s Challenge finalist for the 2nd time, had 100% of their students successfully complete the Governor’s Challenge this year.

Each of the school finalists named today 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 finalists for the above prizes, Redwood Elementary and Golden Oak Elementary are two of 100 schools state-wide that will receive an extra bonus from the Council – a brand new  DanceDanceRevolution system that they will receive for recording 202,104 “Active Days” at Redwood Elementary and 194,656 “Active Days” at Golden Oak in the Challenge and being two 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 Redwood Elementary and Golden Oak Elementary schools’ efforts.  Thank you Principal Witcher and Principal Swearengin, and thank you Jaime DelBosque, 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.

“I’m also thrilled that our Council has been able to promote our Governor’s Challenge without adding any burden on California taxpayers,” said Steinfeld.  “Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, - Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, the Coca-Cola Company, CVS/pharmacy, General Mills, and Kaiser Permanente - we were able to encourage a record 1.3  million California children, parents and teachers to take the Governor’s Challenge this year.”  In fact, more people participated in the California Governor’s Fitness Challenge this year, than in all the other 49 states combined.

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.  The Coca-Cola Company is the sponsor of eight Live Positively fitness center awards that will also be made to schools this year.  CVS/pharmacy sponsors the Governor’s Challenge Competition Front Runner Awards and $5,000 Regional Awards.  General Mills’ sponsorship funds the Certificates of Completion for which students completing the Governor’s Challenge qualify.  Partners of the Governor’s Council include Tuff Stuff Fitness Equipment, which helps equip the fitness centers the Council awards, 24 Hour Fitness which provides free passes to students, teachers and parents taking the Governor’s Challenge, and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area which provides free lift tickets to k-12 students taking the Governor’s Challenge.

About the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports

The California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting physical activity for all Californians with an emphasis on children and youth. Governor Schwarzenegger is the Honorary Chairman and Council members include Chairman Jake Steinfeld, Vice Chairman Peter Vidmar, and California sports legends such as Tony Hawk, Misty May-Treanor, Laila Ali and Jerry Rice.  Governor’s Council key initiatives include the Governor’s Challenge, the Governor’s Council Spotlight Awards presented by the Anthem Blue Cross Foundation, the Live Like a Champion Tour powered by Anthem Blue Cross and Exercise is Medicine.  Founding sponsors are Anthem Blue Cross Foundation and Kaiser Permanente.  Other sponsors include the Coca-Cola Company, CVS/pharmacy and General Mills.  For more information, visit www.CalGovCouncil.org