CORRECTING and REPLACING PHOTO New Balance Foundation Billion Mile Race Gets Kids Moving in All 50 States

New Balance Foundation-sponsored challenge combats childhood obesity
with in-school physical activity; hits 1,300 of 25,000 school goal on
launch day

BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Please replace the photo with the accompanying corrected photo.

The release reads:

NEW BALANCE FOUNDATION BILLION MILE RACE GETS KIDS MOVING IN ALL 50
STATES

New Balance Foundation-sponsored challenge combats childhood obesity
with in-school physical activity; hits 1,300 of 25,000 school goal on
launch day

Opening today to all schools across the country, the New
Balance Foundation Billion Mile Race challenges 5-12 year olds to
collectively reach one billion miles by participating in school-based
walking and running clubs. More than 1,300 schools have already signed
on to the multi-year effort, which aims to engage 25,000 schools total.
Students have logged more than 5.1 million miles, the equivalent of 22
trips to the moon.

Only
one in three children is physically active each day. To
encourage physical activity, Billion Mile Race was created by ChildObesity180
at Tufts University, and funded by the New Balance Foundation as part of
their global NB SparkStart initiative. Billion Mile Race was inspired by
the 100 Mile Club, which challenges students to walk or run 100 miles at
school over the course of a single academic year.

School-based walking and running programs are a winning approach to
building more physical activity into kids’ daily lives and forming the
essential healthy habits that will help to reverse the childhood obesity
epidemic. The Billion Mile Race is the first of its kind, motivating all
of America’s elementary school students to join a national movement
where physical activity is integral rather than an “extra.” Every
school in the country can sign
up for the Race at no charge, accessing support materials and
tracking their progress through the online portal.

Active kids simply do better—better in the classroom, better
attendance, better health and fitness. Karen Finnegan, a fifth-grade
teacher whose school in West Roxbury, MA, is participating in the
Billion Mile Race, noted, “The children have more energy, and they’re
more focused on their school work.” Several scientific studies have
shown that physical activity is associated with health benefits such as
obesity prevention, as well as academic achievement, better school
attendance and fewer disciplinary problems. Thus the Institute of
Medicine urges that all children attain 60 minutes of moderate to
vigorous physical activity per day, 30 minutes of which should be during
school hours.⁽¹⁾

“The New Balance Foundation is proud to join with ChildObesity180 and
the 100 Mile Club in this new effort to get kids moving in schools
across America,” said Anne Davis, managing trustee, New Balance
Foundation. “Our NB SparkStart initiative is dedicated to improving
children’s health, well-being and self-esteem through movement, and
supporting measurable programs like the Billion Mile Race will inspire
our nation’s students to discover their movement spark.”

“We need kids to understand how to make good choices for themselves,
and we need environments that point to healthy choices as the default,”
said Christina Economos, PhD, vice chair and director of
ChildObesity180. “The New Balance Foundation Billion Mile Race builds
quality physical activity into the school day in a way that’s fun for
kids and lays the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits.”

“It can be hard to say ‘let’s do this one more thing,’ but I’m so
glad that we did,” said Nan Mead, school nurse at the participating
Swift River School in New Salem, MA. “There are so many benefits that
were unforeseen. As a school nurse, developing this lifelong love of
health and exercise has become central to my job. As a community, it’s
brought everyone closer.”

“The philosophy at the heart of the 100 Mile Club is that every single
individual can strive for success by accepting the challenge to walk or
run 100 miles during a single school year,” said Kara Lubin, 100 Mile
Club Founder and CEO. “The way that the Billion Mile Race is opening
this challenge to every student across America is thrilling, and we are
tremendously honored and excited to be the featured program.”

If your school is ready to join the movement, sign up at the Billion
Mile Race website (www.billionmilerace.org).
The website, featuring the 100 Mile Club, provides all you need to start
a walking and running program including setting goals, logging miles,
tracking progress, and participating in this national movement.

Established in 1981, the New Balance Foundation has served a deeply held
mission: to support charitable organizations whose humanitarian efforts
work for the betterment of our children and communities. The heart of
the Foundation’s focus is the prevention of childhood obesity.

About ChildObesity180: Aiming for a “180” on Childhood Obesity

Based at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and
Policy, our premise is unique: Top national leaders from the private,
public, nonprofit, and academic sectors committed to developing,
measuring, and implementing evidence-based solutions to reverse the
alarming epidemic of childhood obesity in America. For more information,
visit www.ChildObesity180.org.

Reference:

Institute of Medicine. Education the student body: taking physical
activity and physical education to school. Washington, DC: The National
Academies Press, 2013.

Contacts

For ChildObesity180
Kate Haranis, 617-482-0042
kharanis@denterlein.com