Eliot Middle School and Webster Elementary Named Fitness Finalists

Pasadenausd.org

June 23, 2010

Pasadena, CA –  Pasadena Unified School District’s (PUSD) Eliot Middle School and Webster Elementary School have qualified as statewide finalists and are to be considered for prizes worth up to $100,000, it was announced today by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Eliot Middle School and Webster Elementary are among 19 schools in the Los Angeles region and 127 schools state-wide that have been named finalists in the Council’s 2010 Governor’s Challenge Competition. The contest promotes increased physical activity and better nutrition among California’s youth.
 
“Congratulations to Eliot and Webster for being named finalists for the second and third time, respectively,” said PUSD Superintendent Edwin Diaz. “They have earned distinction for their commitment to the health and physical fitness of their students.”
 
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.
 
Each of the school finalists are 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 in Sacramento in September.
 
Both Eliot Middle School and Webster Elementary School had 100 percent of their students successfully complete the Governor’s Challenge this year.  This is the second time that Eliot Middle is being named a Governor’s Challenge finalist, and Webster’s third time.
 
In addition to being named finalists, Eliot Middle School and Webster Elementary School are among 100 schools state-wide that will receive an extra bonus from the Council - a brand new DanceDanceRevolution system.  The reward acknowledges that the schools have recorded 130,324 “Active Days” in the Challenge. 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 Charles W. Eliot Middle School’s and Daniel Webster Elementary School’s efforts. Thank you Principal Peter Pannell, Principal Sharon Lefler, and Governor’s Challenge Coordinators Amber Plummer and Marie Crosby for stepping up,” said Jake Steinfeld, Chairman of theGovernor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. “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.”
 
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