Boston Celtics Captain Paul Pierce took on the childhood obesity epidemic in a big way on Saturday afternoon, leading hundreds of kids from Boston Public Schools in a group exercise to raise awareness of his Truth on Health Campaign. The event, which took place in Copley Square, is part of the NBA All-Star’s season-long initiative to bring health and fitness to youth in Boston.
The public rally was designed to teach children simple and fun ways to stay active through everyday activities. Demonstrations included dance, yoga, mixed martial arts, and jump rope, with guidance from yoga instructor Tamara Nuenighoff, and mixed martial arts specialist Melissa Neault, among other fitness professionals. Local groups Lil Phunk and Rope Burners Double Dutch had all the right moves, showing kids how to have fun with dance and fitness.
«As a professional athlete, I’m well aware of how important physical activity and eating healthy are, but as a kid, I didn’t know what I do today,» said Pierce. «The more time and effort we put into building my Truth on Health program, the more I’ve learned what an epidemic childhood obesity really is. My goal is to make an impact on this issue by providing tools for kids to be healthy and active as well as motivate them to want to do so.»
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai led a cooking demonstration featuring simple, nutritious meals that children and their parents can prepare at home. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation aimed at combating childhood obesity, provided empowerME interactive fitness stations including Slam Dunk It; Move to Groove; and Field Games, including a three-legged race and hula hooping.
JAM’N 94.5’s Ramiro Torres and KISS 108’s Romeo served as co-emcees. Representatives from the Truth on Health Campaign’s key sponsors including Boston Globe Media Executive Director of Sales Development Jane Bowman; Comcast Vice President of Public Relations Doreen Vigue; and empowerME Kids’ Movement Director from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation Anne Ferree spoke at the rally.
The Truth on Health’s signature component, FitClub34, is a rewards-based fan club turned «fit» club which provides children with the information, resources, and tools necessary to become more active and physically fit. The program features monthly challenges, age-appropriate exercise routines, healthy recipes, and rewards-based incentives, and encourages children to make a promise to lead a healthier lifestyle by eating well and being active for 60 minutes per day. Premium FitClub34 memberships include the Paul Pierce Activity Watch, powered by Switch2Health. The innovative device tracks physical activity and motivates kids to be active through rewards and incentives. Paul Pierce has donated more than 1,000 watches to local Boston youth to encourage the kids to be active. Children can sign up to be a part of FitClub34 at www.truthonhealth.org.
FitClub34 teaches kids and families safe, effective and age-appropriate workout routines led by Pierce, through an extensive library of videos available on Celtics On Demand, exclusively on Comcast. To view the Comcast on Demand videos:
1. Select the Get Local or Sports and Fitness category from the On Demand menu
2. Choose NBA TV, Boston Celtics and Paul Pierce’s FitClub34
3. Select your video
Pierce recently finished shooting a new set of workout routines with fitness trainer David Jack and students at the Josiah Quincy School, where the segments were shot.
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