Sacramento Kings, UC Davis Health System and Sacramento City Unified School District to Tip-Off 2012-13 “Get Fit with the Kings” Program
-- Kings forward James Johnson will join team personalities, Slamson, Kings Dancers and Kings Breakers to visit Hiram Johnson High School for two rallies promoting community health --
SACRAMENTO, CALIF., Sept. 13, 2012--The Sacramento Kings, UC Davis Health System and the Sacramento City Unified School District will tip-off a third season of the “Get Fit with the Kings” program, designed to enhance the lives and health of Sacramento-area youth. Inaugurated in December 2010, the program aimed to improve student scores on the annual FITNESSGRAM test. “Get Fit with the Kings” achieved its goal of bettering results while engaging students in physical activity and healthy eating. The program will continue to support the South Sacramento Building Healthy Communities efforts to educate youth about how health happens with fitness, drinking plenty of water and sound nutrition.
“Get Fit” continued reaching its objectives last season, as 3,000 students across the district completed Aerobic Capacity Testing which resulted in a 20 percent average improvement for boys and girls scoring in a “healthy fitness zone” at three target schools – Earl Warren Elementary School, Will C. Wood Middle School and Hiram Johnson High School.
The 2012-13 program will launch on Friday, September 14 at Hiram Johnson High School with a pair of rallies set to create excitement for this year’s activities. Both rallies will take place in the Hiram Johnson gymnasium. Rally A begins at 10 a.m. and lasts until 11 a.m. followed by Rally B from 11 a.m. to noon. As a component of each event, Kings forward James Johnson will speak to students about the role fitness has played in his career and why staying in good shape is an important aspect of living a healthy life. An expert martial artist, Johnson also plans to share his experiences growing up around the sport and how its discipline helped him reach the NBA.
Appearances by Slamson, the Sacramento Kings Dancers, Kings Breakers and a presentation by UC Davis nutritionists Greg Wine and Jennifer Manning are all scheduled components of each rally. Students will receive tips about eating a balanced diet and learn about convenient ways of altering daily behaviors into healthy living habits (such as drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day and avoiding soft drinks or liquids high in sugar). Other scheduled festivities include tricycle races, a “Dress Like a King” relay race and tic-tac-toe wind sprint games.
“We are thrilled to partner again with the Sacramento Kings and Building Healthy Communities: South Sacramento on this extraordinary program,” said Sacramento City Unified School District Superintendent Jonathan Raymond. “We have an epidemic of childhood obesity in Sacramento and our children will be healthier and will do better in school if they get out and exercise regularly. This partnership continues to serve as a useful tool to support our students and mobilize change in their communities.”
Building Healthy Communities is a 10-year program of The California Endowment. Fourteen communities across the state are taking action to make where they live healthier. The goal: To create places where children are healthy, safe and ready to learn. South Sacramento is one of the 14 Building Healthy Communities sites.
The 2012-13 “Get Fit with the Kings” program targets three schools in South Sacramento – Nicholas Elementary School, Will C. Wood Middle School and Hiram Johnson High School.
“The Sacramento Kings have always been committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of youth in the region,” said Kings President of Business Operations Matina Kolokotronis. “Thanks to the hard work demonstrated over the last two seasons by students, teachers and parents, the third year of our “Get Fit with the Kings” program is on track to be the most successful yet.”
“Get Fit with the Kings” is a comprehensive program that includes the following elements:
"UC Davis Health System is pleased to join with our partners in promoting to Sacramento youth the importance of staying fit and healthy eating," said Vincent Johnson, COO of UC Davis Medical Center. "This partnership fits perfectly with our commitment to be fully engaged with and improve the health of our community."
About Maloof Sports & Entertainment (MS&E): Maloof Sports & Entertainment includes the Sacramento Kings and Power Balance Pavilion. Owned by the Maloof family with long-term, local partners, the organization is committed to being a contributing member of the Sacramento community. Teaming up with local leaders and non-profit organizations to give back to those in need throughout the region, MS&E has donated more than $20 million in cash and in-kind donations to more than 200 charitable entities over 13 years of Maloof family ownership. For more information about Maloof Sports & Entertainment, please visit Kings.com, PowerBalancePavilion.com or call 916-928-0000.
The California Endowment: is a private, statewide health foundation, which was established in 1996 to expand access to affordable, quality health care for underserved individuals and communities and to promote fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. Headquartered in downtown Los Angeles. The Endowment has regional offices in Sacramento, Oakland, Fresno and San Diego, with program staff working throughout the state. The Endowment challenges the conventional wisdom that medical settings and individual choices are solely responsible for people's health. The Endowment believes that health happens in neighborhoods, schools, and with prevention. For more information visit The Endowment’s homepage Here.
Sacramento City Unified School District: Sacramento City Unified School District serves approximately 47,000 students at 81 campuses stretching across the Sacramento area. The district’s first school opened its doors in 1856, not long after gold was discovered in the nearby Sierra foothills. SCUSD’s mission, as outlined by the governing Board of Education, is to graduate students “as globally competitive lifelong learners, prepared to succeed in a career and higher education institution of their choice to secure gainful employment and contribute to society.” For more information visit the district’s website Here.
UC Davis Health System: UC Davis Health System improves health and health care, around the corner and across the globe. Diverse in expertise but united in purpose, UC Davis faculty, staff and students collaborate daily to solve urgent real-world problems, translate research into new cures and eliminate health disparities. Whether treating complex injuries, improving cancer care or explaining autism, UC Davis Health System’s unique combination of academic excellence and social responsibility advances health for all. For more information visit Click Here.