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July 3, 2008
Donald Driver and Edgar Bennett to Lead Madison Kids Through NFL-Style Workouts to Help Fight Childhood Obesity
Hundreds Expected to Participate in the Physicians Plus “Training Camp” for Kids
Donald Driver and Edgar Bennett are coming to Madison with a message for kids: eat right, exercise, and live a healthy life
The Physicians Plus “GO! Green & Gold Training Camp” is part of the GO! Get Out Campaign to encourage parents and their kids to fight childhood obesity with healthy activities that make fitness fun. The event will be held at the Henry Vilas Zoo on Saturday, July 12, 2008 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. This year, wide receiver Donald Driver and running backs coach Edgar Bennett will lead kids through a series of NFL-style workouts in a family-friendly environment. They will also reward participants with player photo cards, and 10 lucky kids will win autographed footballs.
“As a professional football player, I’m required to be in top physical shape,” says Donald Driver. “These kids have to make the choice to get into shape, and that’s what this is all about. Kids see us out there on the football field, playing hard and having fun. We want them to know that to be your best, you have to be healthy and that being healthy can be fun.”
In light of growing overweight and obesity rates in children, Physicians Plus made a decision four years ago to provide kids and families with tools and incentives for getting active. They called it the GO! (“Get Out”) program, and structured it around a simple goal – fight climbing rates of childhood obesity in south central Wisconsin. As part of the program, the GO! Passport was created. Passports contain activities for kids and parents that allow them to “get outside” while experiencing Madison. Each time kids complete an activity or visit a GO! event, they check it off in their Passport. When they finish at least 10 GO! activities, they can send their Passport to Physicians Plus for a chance to win cool prizes.
The GO! Green & Gold Training Camp kicks off Physicians Plus’ summer/fall GO! Passport. In addition, the second place winner of the previous winter/spring Passport campaign will be presented with five brand new Schwinn bicycles for their whole family. The first place winner, Willie, was rewarded in early June with a backyard party at his home with wide receiver James Jones.
“Physicians Plus believes in prevention as a way we can improve the health of our community,” says Physicians Plus Manager of Marketing Scott Shoemaker. “Investing in prevention adds longer, healthier years to people’s lives. What better way to encourage this behavior for future generations than to have two outstanding examples like Driver and Bennett helping our cause? It all starts with getting attention. We need to reach both parents and kids. And who better to do this than two of the most recognizable sports figures in our state?”
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