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What a day! It is an understatement to say that the first national event to celebrate AAHPERD's Let's Move in School initiative was a resounding success. With support from the Padres' youth fitness initiative, FriarFit, the Let's Move in School Showcase at PETCO Park modeled what schools can do to increase physical activity before, during and after school. Celebrity athletes Drews Brees, Carl Lewis, and Tracy Austin helped lead hundreds of San Diego elementary, middle, and high-school students from 9 schools in physical activities including a flash mob dance routine, tennis, cultural dances and power circuits.
Sunny California skies provided the perfect backdrop for our enthusiastic participants, VIPS, and AAHPERD convention attendee spectators. The younger students chanted "Who dat?" and threw Mardi Gras beads at New Orleans Saints Quarterback Drew Brees, who led all the students in a Hop Sports wake-up warm-up activity. Tracy Austin, professional tennis icon, demonstrated beginner tennis techniques, and Olympian Carl Lewis got down on the ground with the middle-school students to participate in a Skillastics activity. Elaine LaLanne, widow of Jack Lalanne, "the godfather of fitness", joined the demonstrations to have some fun and show support for quality physical education.
Local television and print media covered the event, including NBC news, the San Diego Union Tribune, and Fox News, with national mentions in 214 online or print newspapers throughout the country. Many thanks to the San Diego Padres and to our Let's Move in School Corporate Partners and Let's Move in School Showcase sponsors who helped us host such a successful event. Special thanks goes out to HOPSports, Skillastics, and USTA for leading the students in physical activity demonstrations, and to Dasani Water, Hershey's Track and Field Games, ING, Reebok, and USTA for providing goody bags for all the participating students.
© 2013 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance