Youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of of Kern County participate in sack races during Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Nestle’s National Fitness Competition in Bakersfield, California. (PRNewsFoto/Boys & Girls Clubs of America)
Boys & Girls Clubs of America has set bold goals to enable more kids to achieve a great future, including logging 4 billion hours of physical activity from Club kids and teens by 2018.
As part of their three-year national partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Nestlé are challenging Clubs around the country to inspire local kids to achieve tangible short-term fitness goals.
The organization and Nestlé in the United States held a National Fitness Challenge event this past weekend at Shirley Lane Elementary in Bakersfield, California.
The event featured Paralympic athlete and Boys & Girls Club alum Blake Leeper, who helped jump-start the competition with 200 kids from Boys & Girls Clubs of Bakersfield. Blake, who hopes to be the first American to compete in both the Paralympic and Olympic Summer Games in 2016, shared his experience with fitness and how Boys & Girls Clubs helped him develop his athletic skills.
“It’s great to be here with Nestlé and Boys & Girls Clubs again to participate in the National Fitness Competition,” said Blake Leeper. “Fitness and health have always been an important part of my life, and I’m very passionate about educating and getting kids motivated to be fit. Thanks to Nestlé, Club kids around the country are going to get a chance to participate in the National Fitness Challenge each spring and fall.”
Through Nestlé’s support, the National Fitness Challenge will enable Clubs to host fitness competitions for kids and teen members, to encourage a competitive spirit and challenge members to achieve tangible fitness goals.
The National Fitness Competition kicked off with Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland in July, and has expanded to more than 100 Clubs. Clubs host their local competitions each fall and spring with activities that are broken out by gender, age group and various levels of competition.
By the program’s third year, the National Fitness Competition is expected to reach 500 Clubs, engaging a total of 50,000 young people.
