Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation Awards $144,000 in Grants to Combat Childhood Obesity in Georgia

/PRNewswire -- The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation has awarded $144,441 to organizations working to reduce childhood obesity among Georgia's schoolchildren.

The investments include a $73,300 award to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (Children's) to support the Georgia Student Health and Physical Education (SHAPE) Partnership, a public-private initiative focused on improving student health and wellness. The partnership is the result of HB 229, signed by Governor Sonny Perdue during the 2009 legislative session, which requires all students in physical education courses to receive an annual fitness assessment.

"We are thrilled to help bring to life Governor Perdue's vision for improving the health and wellness of students," said Penelope McPhee, president of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, of which the Falcons Youth Foundation is an affiliated fund. "We look forward to working with Governor-Elect Nathan Deal to extend the promise of the SHAPE Partnership to every student in Georgia."

Children's will use its grant to provide HOPSports Training Systems and technical assistance to five county school districts chosen to pilot the fitness testing: Hall, Gwinnett, Bibb, White and Lowndes. As a partner in the National Football League's Play 60 campaign, HOPSports has proven success in helping schools engage large numbers of students in physical activity at the same time.

Children's will also help two school districts, Muscogee and Forsyth, test a new product, Brain Breaks, which gives teachers up to 100 brief physical activity lessons – three to seven minutes each – drawn from the HOPSports content library. Increasing the time students spend in activity, even in short bursts, has been shown to improve classroom behavior and academic performance.

The Falcons Youth Foundation's latest round of grants also includes awards to:

YMCA of Metro Atlanta

$50,000 to launch in-school and after-school Falcons Fitness Zone programming at Peachtree Hope Charter School.

Sodexo-Jackmont/Atlanta Public Schools

$11,141 to support wellness programs teaching students healthy eating habits, including a breakfast program that increases participation by delivering nutritious meals directly to students and a program that offers Falcons-related prizes at six elementary schools to promote healthier menu items at lunch, including locally grown produce.

After-School All-Stars Atlanta

$10,000 to launch the Camp Carrot Seed project, engaging at least 50 Falcon Fitness Zone students in organic gardening and providing a source of food for City of Refuge families.

With these grant awards, the youth foundation's giving surpasses $1 million for 2010. In addition, this year the foundation is managing $47,000 in funds raised through sales of Atlanta Falcons specialty license plates, which will help SHAPE Partnership schools acquire HOPSports systems, and $3,500 in donations from a Falcons fan group, which will help the After-School All-Stars implement Camp Carrot Seed.

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Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation Awards $163,500 in Grants to Combat Childhood Obesity in Georgia

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation (AFYF) has awarded six grants totaling $163,500 to nonprofit organizations working to reduce childhood obesity among Georgia's schoolchildren.

The investments include a three-year $120,000 award to Appalachian Community Enterprises (ACE) for two innovative projects designed to provide low-income families with greater access to affordable, healthy food.

With the grant, ACE will partner with Truly Living Well Natural Urban Farms to develop a five-acre fruit and vegetable garden in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward. ACE will also partner with The Food Trust to help independent grocers open grocery stores in neighborhoods where residents currently lack access to fresh produce.

"Our grant investments are moving more Georgia children from sedentary to active lifestyles and bringing more affordable, healthy food to Georgia families," said Penelope McPhee, president of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. AFYF is an affiliated fund of the Blank Family Foundation.

Also part of its childhood obesity initiative, AFYF supported the Blank Family Foundation's September 23 Speaker Series program examining the link between physical fitness, student outcomes and brain development. Visit the Foundation's web site (http://blankfoundation.org/news/SpeakerSeries.html) to view a video of the program.

AFYF's latest round of awards includes grants to:

Playworks

$15,000 to train 400 staff members from Falcons Fitness Zone grant partners, including Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA staff, to increase their effectiveness at engaging youth in physical activities and play. Playworks will also provide training to 30 – 60 teens to lead games and physical activities at their after-school program sites.

Georgia Organics

$10,500 to enable the East Lake Farmers Market to accept EBT swipe cards used by low-income families accessing food benefits. With the grant, East Lake Farmers Market will become the seventh farmers market in Georgia to take part in the Wholesome Wave Foundation double-coupon program, where families using EBT cards receive $2 of produce for every $1 spent.

KiDsGyM

$5,000 to deliver Flipping For Life, a gymnastics instruction and education program to children ages 9 – 12 at the Whitehead Boys & Girls Club in South Atlanta.

Atlanta Ballet

$5,000 to deliver the Centre Dance program to K-5 students at Parklane Elementary School in East Point, providing kinesthetic learning activities during and after school.

Georgia Mountains YMCA

$5,000 to expand programming through the Mobile Fitness Gym, which brings fitness activities and equipment to youth across Hall County.

Fuel Up to Play 60

$3,000 for the Southeastern United Dairy Association to provide fitness equipment to schools participating in its Fuel Up to Play 60 partnership.

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Fletcher Martin Helps Warrick Dunn Give Back

PRNewswire/ -- Fletcher Martin, the fully-integrated marketing communications agency, has teamed up with former Atlanta Falcon, Warrick Dunn, to raise money to support Atlantans in need.

The agency is handling publicity, advertising, print collateral design including signage, invitations, the program and more for the upcoming Sixth Annual Warrick Dunn Foundation Gala October 13 at the Westin in Buckhead at 7 p.m. where Dunn will be joined by former and current NFL teammates and friends in Atlanta for a star-studded night with one goal in mind -- raise money for this worthy cause while having a night to remember.

"Warrick Dunn continues to be an inspiration to people in Atlanta and all over the country," said Andy Fletcher, President and CEO of Fletcher Martin. "We look forward to continuing to help him bring joy, hope and help to economically disadvantaged single-parent households in our community."

"Despite Warrick's move from the Atlanta Falcons to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers there is still a need for the Foundation's assistance in Georgia," said Natalie Boe, Warrick Dunn Foundation Executive Director. "We look forward to continuing our support of the greater Atlanta area."

Dunn started Homes for the Holidays in 1997 as a tribute to his mother, a Baton Rouge police officer, who was killed in the line of duty. As a single mother of six, she worked tirelessly to achieve the American dream of owning her own home, however, she was never able to realize that dream. Through Homes for the Holidays, Dunn has been able to honor her memory. To date, the program has assisted 78 single parents and 205 children and dependents to achieve first-time homeownership in Tampa and Tallahassee, Fla.; Atlanta, Ga. and Dunn's hometown of Baton Rouge, La.

The event is open to the public and will include live musical performances, a live and silent auction (including Super Bowl XLIII package), Macy's Fashion Extravaganza and much more. Event sponsors include Aaron's Sales and Lease, Macy's, The Pepsi Bottling Group, Grey Goose, 7 For All Mankind, Peachtree TV, V-103 The People's Station and 92.9 davefm, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. For additional information and to purchase tickets visit www.warrickdunnfoundation.org .

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