Today Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), the nation’s #1 advocate for kids and teens, launched their new Boys & Girls Clubs - Alumni & Friends Club to engage its estimated 16 million Club Alumni. Alongside Alumni & Friends Club spokesperson Shaquille O’Neal, numerous other celebrity ambassadors, hundreds of local Boys & Girls Clubs, corporate and media partners, BGCA is calling former Club members to join the movement in building great futures for the next generation.
“Boys & Girls Clubs have impacted the future of multiple generations, with 54 percenti of our Alumni saying that their Club saved their lives,” said Jim Clark, president & CEO of BGCA. “We want to reconnect with the millions of former Club kids and issue a call to action to come together as advocates and ambassadors for Clubs around the country, so that every kid in America has an open door to a great future.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7618751-boys-and-girls-clubs-alumni/
Vitamin Bee, LLC today announced a new collaboration with the Bayer Bee Care Program through its “Vitamin Bee®” character to help promote the Feed a Bee initiative, bee advocacy and healthy nutrition awareness for children.
Created by veteran director and animator Geoffrey Kater, Vitamin Bee is the central character in a nutrition education program that encourages kids to eat nutritious foods and empowers them to make healthy lifestyle choices. Their approach is to teach children and have fun while doing it, with the help of a dynamic animated character, as well as an entire curriculum that entertains and educates through the use of videos, quizzes, activity sheets, games and hands-on lessons.
“Vitamin Bee is a great role model that teaches kids about the value of the honey bee to our planet, our food supply and our daily lives,” said Geoffrey Kater, creator of Vitamin Bee. “We hope that getting kids to appreciate the role of the honey bee at an early age will encourage them to be great bee advocates for their entire lives. Vitamin Bee speaks a language that kids understand and uses humor to teach them these important lessons. I think we’ve created a great thing here and I’m so happy to be working with the Feed a Bee program and to be part of the Bayer Bee Care Center to help educate schools, kids and families alike.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7452952-bayer-vitamin-bee-feed-a-bee/
Today, GENYOUth announced the launch of Fuel Up to Play 60 en español, an evolution of its national flagship program. The program encourages Spanish-speaking communities nationwide to live healthier lifestyles through good nutrition and physical activity. Fuel Up to Play 60 launched a redesigned website (FuelUpToPlay60.com) that provides Spanish-language content and materials, extending the reach and access of the program to students, teachers and families across the country. Several organizations have supported the effort, including the PepsiCo Foundation, which has provided a previously announced grant of $550,000 to develop Spanish-language materials and resources. In addition the PepsiCo Foundation will provide another $100,000 for mini-grants for health and wellness activities and programming within Los Angeles Unified School District and Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
Fuel Up to Play 60, a program founded by the National Football League (NFL) and National Dairy Council (NDC), is designed to engage and empower youth to take action for their own health by implementing long-term, positive nutrition and physical activity changes for themselves, their schools and their communities. Studies show that physical fitness may benefit brain health and academic performance, suggesting active kids may do better. However, only 1 in 3 kids are active every day, potentially leaving many at a disadvantage inside and outside of the classroom.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7646551-fuel-up-to-play-60/
Toys“R”Us® today announced that The Great Big Toys“R”Us Book of Awesome, the company’s annual resource for the year’s hottest toys, will begin arriving in homes this week featuring an all-new, special interactive edition. This 96-page toy compendium is compatible with the company’s all-new app, The Geoffrey Shuffle, a game that allows kids to bring to life the season’s most coveted toys through an augmented reality experience. An abbreviated catalog, which features 48 pages of kid-favorite toys, is now available online at Toysrus.com and will be in local newspapers on Saturday, October 31. This year’s highly-anticipated gift guide from The World’s Greatest Toy Store™ also includes thousands of dollars worth of compelling deals and coupon offers, valid Sunday, November 1 through Saturday, November 21.
“The arrival of The Great Big Toys“R”Us Book of Awesome marks the kickoff of the time-honored tradition of children eagerly studying pages upon pages of the year’s hottest toys, curating their must-have lists for Christmas morning,” said Richard Lennox, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Toys“R”Us, U.S. “Within the book, we created eight interactive lifestyle spreads that show the breadth of our assortment and make bold statements for some of the brands most beloved by kids. This catalog is the centerpiece of our holiday marketing efforts, and extends the theme of “AWWWESOME,” speaking not only to the excitement kids have when they turn the first page, but also the ways the company is helping gift-givers save with great deals and services, such as Price Match Guarantee and Free Shipping.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7476352-toys-r-us-book-of-awesome-2015/
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, a national nonprofit dedicated to reducing substance abuse among adolescents, today launched a new multimedia campaign for teens that illustrates some of the pressures they face, including peer pressure to drink and use drugs, issues with body image and bullying, among others. The “Who Controls You” campaign breaks this month and was created pro-bono by advertising agency, Hill Holliday and award-winning, social media influencer, Maris Jones, as part of the Partnership’s Above the Influence (ATI) teen program.
“We are incredibly proud of this work. We struck gold when Hill Holliday collaborated with Adolescent Media and Maris Jones to bring this campaign to life,” said Chief Marketing Officer for the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, Kristi Rowe. “Partnering with a young, talented social media influencer like Maris lent such a unique and authentic voice to this effort. Combining the extraordinary insight and passion of the Hill Holliday team with Maris’ distinct artistry brought an unexpected style to the campaign that makes this creative truly break through.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7103751-drug-free-partnership-who-controls-you/
Mighty, motorized micros! Playmates Toys announced today the launch of T-Sprints, an innovative new figure and wheels play pattern that goes beyond traditional vehicle play, available first at Toys“R”Us® stores nationwide for the month of December, and rolling out to additional retailers beginning in January. The highly stylized figures, which capture the personalities of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, each come with a different vehicle and feature a unique flywheel so kids can rev and send them sprinting into action.
“As the company behind the popular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toy line for decades, Playmates Toys continually strives to develop innovative new play patterns which allow fans to experience their favorite characters in unique and entertaining ways,” said Karl Aaronian, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Playmates Toys. “The T-Sprints collection offers fans a humorous, unique new experience, bringing the personalities of each Turtle to life in whole new way.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7404458-playmates-toys-t-sprints-toys-r-us-tmnt/
Regional winners of the Rotten Sneaker Contest® gathered at Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Times Square for the 2016 national competition. Six contestants from across the country, ages seven to thirteen, went head-to head in New York City today to show off their foul smelling sneakers for a chance to win the national title. But only one pair of sneakers could be crowned the winner and they belonged to 12 year old, Mason Young-Hiss, from Berthoud, CO.
The Odor-Eaters Rotten Sneaker Contest is the ultimate test that shows how offensive kids’ sneakers can get when they are playing outdoors, splashing through puddles, slogging through mud and more. The contest has a long history (over 40 years) and kids from across the country look forward to this annual event in their hometown. Participants take pride in mucking up their shoes to stand out from their competitors to ultimately win over the judges. Sneakers are judged on the interior and exterior conditions of the shoe, and most importantly odor, by a professional panel that includes NASA “Master Sniffer” George Aldrich, Chemical Specialist for NASA space missions, and Rachel Herz, Ph.D., an expert and author on the psychology of smell. Additionally, Brittany Every, Marketing Manager of Ripley’s Believe Or Not! Times Square joined the expert judges this year. Brittany is accustomed to seeing the unexpected and unusual at Ripley’s so she was up for the task.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7720051-odor-eaters-rotten-sneaker-contest/
As school dismisses for the summer, students of all ages look forward to the carefree days of summertime, but many kids experience what is called the “summer slide.” Studies show that kids can lose up to two months of learning. Kumon, the world’s largest after-school math and reading program, is offering free registration at participating learning centers from June 1-30 to help students continue learning through the summer months.
While a break from the mental taxation of school is needed, challenging children year round is the key to having a strong start the following school year.
“Students can avoid summer learning loss by keeping their minds active and absorbing new knowledge,” said Dominique Ciccarelli, Ed. M., education specialist for Kumon North America. “Continuous study throughout the summer helps ease students into the new school year with sharper skills and enables them to tackle new challenges.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7720257-kumon-free-registration/
As another school year ends, American parents once again face the challenge of making sure their kids get enough daily physical activity to keep them occupied throughout the summer. Based on the results of a recent national survey of parents with children ages 3-17, that may be easier said than done.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that kids have at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity, the Let’s Play 2016 State of Play Survey, commissioned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS), revealed that only one out of three children participates in daily active play.
There also appears to be a significant drop in daily active play when most children head off to kindergarten. Half of 4-year-olds get active daily playtime, compared to 31 percent of 5-year-olds.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7816051-dr-pepper-snapple-lets-play/
For millions of American kids and teens, back-to-school means more than class time, it also means ‘Club time’ as they spend after school hours at local Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation. This fall, Club members at 50 Boys & Girls Clubs – one in each state – will be greeted with refreshed, enhanced or expanded facilities as Lowe’s gives fifty $50,000 grants through Renovation Across the Nation, a $2.5 million initiative through its national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA).
Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes vaulted the program into the spotlight this morning, kicking off the initiative at one of the 50 Clubs, the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem in New York City. The nationwide revitalization effort will enhance both the environment and the experience for more than 50,000 Club members, driving new membership among kids and teens. Dawes, a long-time friend of Boys & Girls Clubs and a mother herself, understands the value of the Club experience in bringing hope and strength to kids and teens in need of a safe and inspiring place to go after school.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7906451-lowes-bgca-renovation-across-nation/
September is National Childhood Obesity Month. To help young people make healthy dietary choices, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encourages kids to Read the Label!
The Nutrition Facts label is a simple tool available on food and beverage packages. It lets kids know exactly what they’re eating and helps them choose and compare snacks and other foods. The earlier kids start using the Nutrition Facts label, the sooner they’ll be making choices that keep them feeling great and on the path to long-term good health!
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7770751-fda-national-childhood-obesity-month/
The Ad Council’s I Am A Witness campaign is bringing together the top digital companies in the teen space for the second iteration of the award-winning and unprecedented effort aimed at transforming the “silent majority” of kids who witness bullying each day from passive bystanders into a united, empowered and active collective against bullying. The campaign is the first to create an anti-bullying emoji adopted by Unicode and natively available on nearly all smartphones across the world. There will be activations throughout the month of October to coincide with Bullying Prevention Month.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7933951-ad-council-i-am-a-witness-anti-bullying/