Thursday, February 24, 2011

Diet Coke® and Heart Health Supporters “Flag” Heart Disease for Women & Their Families in Atlanta

(BUSINESS WIRE)--On February 22, Diet Coke kicked it old school and hosted a “Capture The Flag” tournament to raise awareness and funds for the West End Medical Centers and DeKalb Medical Cardiac Rehab. Female student athletes from Clark Atlanta University (CAU) played a "Capture the Flag" tournament at the CAU Vivian Henderson Gymnasium, with each team representing one of the organizations. At the end of the tournament, the West End Medical Centers received a $10,000 check, with the DeKalb Medical Cardiac Rehab receiving a $5,000 donation.

“In addition, the tournament was a fun way for the student players and the fans to get our hearts pumping while we helped raise funds for local heart health programs.”

The Heart Truth®, a national awareness campaign sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), is embraced by millions of people who share the goal of better heart health for all women. For the fourth year in a row, Diet Coke is supporting the campaign and using its cans and bottles, advertising and digital assets to reach people to raise awareness and funding for heart health programs across the country.

“We all know a woman who may be at risk for cardiovascular disease—mother, wife, sister, friend—that’s why we joined Diet Coke in its continuing commitment to The Heart Truth® campaign. We know how important it is to educate people about the importance of heart health,” said Dr. Michael Brooks, President West End Medical Centers, a 501c3, federally qualified community health center. “In addition, the tournament was a fun way for the student players and the fans to get our hearts pumping while we helped raise funds for local heart health programs.”

“At the Coca-Cola Company, our operating philosophy is to Live Positively, and The Heart Truth® campaign very much embodies that idea. We are dedicated to encouraging new generations of people to be active, stay extraordinary and become advocates for heart health,” said Coca-Cola spokesperson Linda Brigham.

Those who couldn’t make it to the game can play “Capture the Flag” online throughout the month of February, American Heart Month. Simply visit DietCoke.com/HeartTruth and capture a flag. Each flag captured triggers a donation. This initiative is part of the continuing commitment of Diet Coke to women’s heart health. For the second year in a row, Diet Coke cans and bottles will have a new look throughout the month of February. The limited-edition packaging will include a stick figure carrying a heart flag, communicating how Diet Coke is supporting The Heart Truth®. In addition to the limited-edition cans and bottles, more than six billion packages of Diet Coke will carry The Heart Truth ® logo to raise awareness of women’s heart health year-round.

The Heart Truth® campaign has made great strides in raising awareness, but heart disease is still the number one killer among women. More people are becoming aware, but it remains a fact that more women die of heart disease than all cancers combined. There is still more work to do, so together, Diet Coke and The Heart Truth® campaign hope to continue generating awareness and motivating women to take action for heart health.

To participate, visit DietCoke.com/HeartTruth to capture a flag and generate a donation for heart health programs funded by NHLBI’s Heart Truth®. The more involved people are in the campaign, the more funds will be raised.

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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Grandparent/Relative Caregiver Legal Workshop (Fayette)

Grandparents and Kin Raising Children, Inc., (GKRC) will hold a free, informational legal workshop, presented by Lindsay Verity of Atlanta Legal Aid’s Grandparent/Relative Caregiver Project in collaboration with DHS’ Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program, FACTOR and The Summit Family Resource Center. The workshop will be held on March 8th, from 9:30 am- 12 pm, at The Summit Church, 1373 Highway 92 South, Fayetteville. The workshop will cover legal matters relating to guardianship, custody, adoption of grandchildren and other children in kinship care. In addition to relative caregivers, this workshop will be valuable to educators, juvenile justice professionals, medical and mental health professionals, clergy, social service providers and others interested in the wellbeing of children and families.

Continental breakfast will be provided beginning at 9:30 am. Seating is limited, please call ahead:

Betty Davis, GKRC Director of Caregiver Services, 770-487-9802; Carole Foran, GKRC Community Partnership Coordinator, 770-487-7655.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Georgia's Youth Receives a $323,392 Grant From Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia to Exercise Their Minds, Bodies and Souls

/PRNewswire/ -- As a part of its ongoing work to address childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles in Georgia, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia (BCBSGa) today announced a three-year, $323,392 grant from its corporate foundation to Boys &Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) which will support the organization's proven health and wellness program, Triple Play, at local Clubs throughout the state.

Created by BGCA in 2005 with founding sponsor Coca-Cola, Triple Play: A Game Plan for the Mind, Body and Soul encourages Club members to eat healthier (mind), become more physically active (body) and increase their ability to engage in healthy relationships (soul). To date, more than one million young people have participated in the program.

"We are truly committed to improving the lives of the people we serve and the health of our communities and Boys & Girls Clubs of America shares that commitment," said Morgan Kendrick, president, BCBSGa. "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia is proud to support the Triple Play program because we know that if we give our kids a healthy start, they can hopefully avoid life-long health issues and spend their time achieving their dreams."

The Georgia-focused funds are part of a $5 million grant from the parent company's Foundation, which will support Triple Play programming in all 50 states and several Triple Play-related initiatives in 2011. These include an attempt to break a physical activity-related Guinness World Record and helping Club families get healthy through the second annual Triple Play Fit Family Challenge.

Boys & Girls Club of America estimates that the grant will benefit more than 1,620 youth throughout Georgia.

"Too many children are not eating smart and getting the proper amount of exercise," said Wayne Moss, senior director, Sports, Fitness & Recreation, BGCA. "Our Triple Play program directly addresses this issue by teaching kids fun ways to stay active, setting the stage for a lifetime of healthy habits."

Triple Play is proven to improve lifestyles and behaviors. A two year study of more than 2,000 children ages 9-14 showed that Triple Play succeeded in getting them to exercise more, eat healthier foods and feel better about themselves. The study found that Triple Play kids increased to 90 percent of the federally recommended amount of daily exercise, which is 60 minutes a day for children, while their peers outside the program decreased to 78 percent.

The grant is an important part of BCBSGa's commitment to addressing health disparities and improving public health throughout the state. Through its State Health Index – a compilation of public health measures – the health plan continually works to identify the issues most in need of attention and directs its charitable support and volunteer efforts toward improving health in those areas.

"The State Health Index truly guides and shapes our work throughout Georgia," said Robert McCormack, medical director for BCBSGa. "By tracking our progress year-over-year we are working to make sure that the programs we support and the fine work of our non-profit partners really is improving health."

"The short- and long-term dangers associated with childhood obesity bring special importance to our work with Boys & Girls Club of America. We are excited to partner with our local Clubs to help them to head off one of the country's most pressing health challenges," McCormack continued.

More information about the Triple Play program is available at www.bgca.org/tripleplay.

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Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Keeping Atlanta warm: Geek Squad collects coats for Atlanta Mission

For a new year’s resolution of charitable giving, the Geek Squad Agents of Atlanta conducted a cold weather clothing drive with Best Buy store employees in support of the Atlanta Union Mission.

The Geek Squad estimated it would be able to collect approximately 200 cold weather items, but exceeded that goal by collecting over 400 items These items included coats, hats, blankets, scarves, and gloves of all sizes, shapes and colors.

“In the past we have worked with many community organizations like Relay for Life, Going Green Environment Seminar, Girl Scouts of America and Boys and Girls Clubs of America, to name a few.” said Brian Adamson, “We are very excited to be able to give back to our community, and we look forward to additional opportunities in the future.”

The Atlanta Mission, established in 1938, provides emergency shelter, residential discipleship, job attainment, and transitional housing to more than 950 homeless men, women and children daily.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2010, we donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

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Community News You Can Use
Click to read MORE news:
www.GeorgiaFrontPage.com
Twitter: @gafrontpage & @TheGATable @HookedonHistory
www.ArtsAcrossGeorgia.com
Twitter: @artsacrossga, @softnblue, @RimbomboAAG @FayetteFP