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Pathway to Better Health: One Step at a Time
Standing at the finish line at Monday’s 115th Boston Marathon, I marveled at the determination, dedication and sheer grit each runner possessed. One by one I greeted the 43 members of my team as they arrived at the finish on Boylston Street. Huge smiles and expressions of relief adorned their faces as they reached the line, as the sense of accomplishment finally started to set in and the goal of completing 26.2 miles became a reality. The exhilarating energy here on race day reminds me of some of the best games of my football career.
Colorado Students Celebrate the International Year of Forests by Planting Trees
More than 1,200 students, teachers and Scouts recently planted 4,500 trees at the Monument Fire Center on the Pike National Forest in Celebration of the International Year of Forests and as part of an ongoing restoration project in the area. The event brought elementary school students from Rockrimmon and Discovery Canyon Campus schools in Colorado Springs, Colo., to learn about forests, the role of fire in the ecosystem and how forests protect water. Another 1,500 trees were planted by Boy and Girl Scouts from the area.
Celebrating the 5th Annual National Walk at Lunch Day
Between work and other commitments, it can be hard to find time to exercise. That’s why the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) supports the National Walk @ Lunch Day sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. Last year, tens of thousands of walkers participated at work sites across the country. This year we hope to encourage even more participants to join us.
The “Little School That Could” Reaches Top
Everyone has heard the children’s story of the “Little Engine that Could” that made the long journey to the top of the hill by pure determination and can-do attitude. But have you heard the story about the “Little School that Could”?
NBA and WNBA joins First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign with PSAs and 350 events around the country
One way to get kids moving is to get a little help from some professionals. Let’s Move! and the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced they are teaming up in the fight against childhood obesity by inspiring kids through PSAs, helping kids meet the PALA challenge and hosting free physical activity clinics around the country.
National Parks Service Looks Into Healthy Foods in America’s Parks
If you’ve been following the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, you know that eating healthy and getting active go hand-in-hand. Thanks to the National Parks Service’s new Healthy Foods Strategy, it will be easier than ever to enjoy healthy foods and exercise at America’s beautiful national parks.
Ohio Kids Use Video Game System for Indoor Physical Activity
Let’s Move! has arrived in Oakwood Village, Ohio, and the town's Youth Council is excited about joining First Lady Michelle Obama in fighting childhood obesity.
Lacrosse, “The Medicine Game,” Creates Physical Activities Opportunity for Urban Native Youth
On March 12th, I joined a group of families and members of Native American Lifelines, an urban Indian community center in Baltimore, for the Konica-Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium. Kerry Lessard, the Health and Cultural Consultant for the center, was inspired by Let’s Move! and wanted to get the youth active through the sport of lacrosse, which has cultural significance in many Indian communities.
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of Let’s Move!
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago marked the date with healthy snacks and a visit from the USDA’s Power Panther mascot.
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Asks Gathering of 4-H Youth to Commit to Public Service, Reach Out to At-Risk Peers
“I pledge my Head to clearer thinking, my Heart to greater loyalty, my Hands to larger service and my Health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.” This is the pledge that 300 4-H youth and volunteers gave on Monday when the 2011 National 4-H Conference kicked off in Bethesda, Md. Youth and adults from 47 states and territories, as well a delegation from Canada, took part in an event that has happened in the Washington area since the 1920s, when 4-Hers slept in tents on the Washington Mall in front of the USDA headquarters. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA, is the parent organization to 4-H National Headquarters. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke to 4-Hers about community service, valuing education, and embracing positive health and nutrition habits.
