FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

2012 Ask, Listen, Learn Challenge Winners Announced

RESTON, VA, May 4, 2012 – As the grand prize winners of the 2012 Ask, Listen, Learn Challenge, Abigail Vare Elementary School in Philadelphia, PA, Sylvan Hills Middle School in Atlanta, GA, and Paul Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., will each receive a visit from a U.S. Olympian and a $1,000 voucher from Sportime for new physical education equipment. The challenge is centered on The Century Council's Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix initiative. The goal of the challenge was to raise awareness during Alcohol Awareness Month of the importance of saying "yes" to a healthy lifestyle and "no" to underage drinking.

Administered by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), 30 schools from across the country participated in the 2 week challenge. Schools placing second and third in their respective grade-level divisions won a $500 (2nd place) and $250 (3rd place) voucher from Sportime for new physical education equipment. Five (5) schools received Honorable Mention, for which they will receive a $100 voucher from Sportime for new physical education equipment.

According to NASPE President Mary Jo Sariscsany of California State University at Northridge, "Physical education teachers and coaches are the perfect individuals to promote good health behaviors to large numbers of young people. Not only do we want all youngsters to enjoy a high level of physical activity and fitness, we want them to make good decisions which will impact their health and well-being. We are impressed with The Century Council's outstanding resources and materials and look forward to continuing to share them with our members."

Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Century Council stated, "NASPE/AAHPERD members are respected leaders in the field; thus The Century Council is pleased to work alongside NASPE to obtain guidance on the most effective ways to share our resources with their membership. By working together, kids across the country will continue to say 'yes' to a healthy lifestyle and 'no' to underage drinking. Thank you to all of the schools who participated in the Ask, Listen, Learn Challenge and congratulations to the winners."

The Century Council

The Century Council, is a national not-for-profit leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by America's leading distillers. Through its educational programs and public awareness campaigns, the Council reaches out to parents, youth, educators, and many other groups nationwide with valuable information and strategies to address these important issues. For more information, visit www.centurycouncil.org.

Ask, Listen, Learn

Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don't Mix, the most widely distributed alcohol awareness program of its kind in the country, empowers kids to say "YES" to a healthy lifestyle and "NO" to underage drinking. The program provides youth ages 9-14 and their parents with information about the dangers of underage drinking. Visitors to the Ask, Listen, Learn website can play online educational games and download activities to learn more about the importance of making healthy choices. Students who are involved in athletics, academics, and/or their community; and, who pledge to say "YES" to a healthy lifestyle and "NO" to underage drinking, can join the Ask Listen Learn Team. They can also learn from the Ask, Listen, Learn SuperStars, such as short track speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno and the fastest American male, Tyson Gay, on how and why they make smart decisions. For more information, visit www.asklistenlearn.com.

NASPE

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a nonprofit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE's 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.

SPORTIME

Sportime provides customized physical education and school health programs and products that promote physical activity and healthful living. Sportime products range from traditional sports equipment, to very unique and innovative physical education tools that help educators encourage all children to participate in healthy activities. For more information, visit www.sportime.com.

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Contact:
Paula Keyes Kun
pkun@aahperd.org
(703) 476-3461

The preeminent national authority on physical education and a recognized leader in sport and physical activity, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is a non-profit professional membership association that sets the standard for practice in physical education and sport. NASPE’s 15,000 members include: K-12 physical education teachers, coaches, administrators, researchers, and college/university faculty who prepare professionals in these areas. NASPE seeks to enhance knowledge, improve professional practice, and increase support for high-quality physical education, sport and physical activity programs. It is the largest of the five national associations that make up the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). For more information, visit www.naspeinfo.org.

The vision of AAHPERD is "Healthy People – Physically Educated and Physically Active!" Headquartered in Reston, VA, 25 miles west of Washington, DC, AAHPERD is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical education, physical activity, dance, school health and sport--all specialties related to achieving an active, healthy lifestyle. Its mission is to advance professional practice and promote research related to health and physical education, physical activity, dance and sport by providing its members with a comprehensive and coordinated array of resources, support and programs to help practitioners improve their skills to further the health and well-being of the American public. For more information, visit www.aahperd.org.