OBESITY IS A CHALLENGE KDZ CAN OVERCOME – WALK FOR AWARENESS.

Obesity in America

According to the American Heart Association, approximately 9 million children (between the ages 6 and 19) are considered obese in the United States, equivalent to the entire population of the state of North Carolina. Something needs to be done to trim down the expanding waistlines of American youth.

This summer KooDooZ challenges us to raise awareness about the obesity epidemic and help the public understand that for the first time in history, this next generation will not outlive their parents unless we make a change.

Being overweight means greater health risks:

• According to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 1 in 3 American kids will develop Type 2 Diabetes in their lifetime
• Tens of millions of Americans suffer every day from preventable illness and chronic disease, and we spend over $2 trillion annually trying to reverse this serious health trend

Obesity impacts more than health: Social isolation, guilt, and even self-loathing can become wellness issues that follow obese people through their lives.

Fortunately, obesity is both preventable and reversible. Even small changes to diet and exercise routines can positively affect health and wellness. Here’s an easy call-to-action you can take now:

Tour De Fitness (Santa Monica, CA 08/15/09)

O2 MAX has partnered with KooDooZ to redefine fitness for youth by empowering them to embrace exercise, nutrition, and healthy living with a “power walk.” Branded Tour de Fitness (TDF), this walk enables youth and their families to enjoy a day of activities while promoting the importance of fitness, exercise and nutrition. TDF was created by O2 MAX to raise awareness about the youth obesity crisis.

We are providing three ways you can help us turn this healthy challenge into an achievement:

1. Take on the Tour de Fitness challenge in your own community:

• To organize your own TDF, visit http://www.KooDooZ.com/
• Click "Get In:" on the landing page and "Log In" on your KooDooZ desktop
• Click on "Global" on the left side of the bulletin board
• Click on the “To Do A Tour de Fitness 09” challenge
• Click on the "Subscribe" button (the red bulls-eye)
• To be eligible for prize consideration: build in stops to refuel, document your group talking about healthy eating habits, share fun exercise methods by inviting local sports and fitness personalities to spend a few minutes training your group, and upload your TDF video documentary to the KooDooZ video portal

2. Walk on August 15th in the Santa Monica Tour de Fitness:

• Go to KooDooZ: http://www.KooDooZ.com/
• Click "Get In:" on the landing page and "Log In" on your KooDooZ desktop
• Click on "Global" on the left side of the bulletin board
• Click on "To Do TDF '09 in Santa Monica" challenge
• Click on the "Subscribe" button (the red bulls-eye)
• Complete the challenge To Do List and turn this challenge into an achievement!

3. Over 18? Volunteer at the Santa Monica Tour de Fitness:

• Volunteer to help register kids and their families in the morning, walk with groups of kids and/or help coordinate activity stops along the way
• Register via Meetup at http://walkers.meetup.com/676/calendar/10926551/ or send an email to info@KooDooZ.com
• Indicate if you would like to volunteer for an AM or PM shift (the event is scheduled from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm)

Watch a video from last year's Tour de Fitness!

Focusing on Philanthropy with Kids

There are 80 million tweens, teens and twentysomethings in the Millennial generation (born in and around the 1980s through the turn of the century). More than half of these young people have community service experience or have tried their hand as entrepreneurs. Many are concerned with urgent social challenges – such as poverty, climate change, homelessness – and want to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Despite their social and economical potential, the voice of youth under the age of 18 remains a whisper in society’s ear. KooDooZ and two non-profit partners, Split Pillow and Dreams for Kids, are actively interviewing youth this summer to unearth the answer to the question: “What can you do to help people live better lives?”.

Our first interview was with Ben Spengel, a 12-year-old boy with cerebral palsy who thought kids with disabilities should be able to compete in a track meet. Just shy of his 11th birthday, Ben told his mom about a way he thought he could help people like him. "Figure out what you can do, and then just work really hard at being really good," his mom advised.

With his goal clearly articulated, Ben approached McHenry, IL Mayor Sue Low and explained his idea of hosting an “Assisted Walk” competition. Maybe it was because Mayor Low had been a special education teacher herself for 33 years, or maybe it was because Ben's passion was contagious. Either way, the Mayor believed Ben could take on this challenge and make a real-world difference.

He did. Ben started by typing out a proposal for the city council to consider and then spreading the word through his school, explaining how kids could empower each other with simple cheers of support.

This month, Ben saw his dream become a reality for the second time. The first race held in 2008 had two participants. This July, Ben's event more than doubled. Five 6-14 year olds using crutches, walkers, canes or wheelchairs were able to participate in five different activities: the 25-meter race, 100-meter relay, a softball throw, a discus toss, and long jump.

Ben's interview will be available next month.

It is our hope that Ben's story will inspire more youth to share their ideas on how to help people live better lives or to interview a local change-maker who already has.

Challenges facing today's youth (according to UNICEF) include:

• One-half the world's population (3 billion people) live on less than $2 a day
• 30,000 children die every single day due to poverty
• Nearly 1 billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their name
• Over 253 million children -- some as young as 5 years old -- work in Child Labor

These statistics only emphasize the need to empower KDZ to help kids, and that's exactly what KooDooZ, Dreams for Kids, and Split Pillow are doing. Will you take the KooDooZ Challenge** "To Get Focused on Philanthropy"?

Dreams for Kids is a children’s charity that offers a safe place where young people of all abilities are empowered to fearlessly pursue their dreams and compassionately change the world. Split Pillow is a non-profit motion picture production and media literacy education company. Together, these two Chicago-based organizations and KooDooZ are empowering KDZ to get behind the camera and take action.

Through this challenge, kids will get focused on philanthropy and improve their understanding of critical world issues.

**To register:

1. Visit http://www.koodooz.com/ and click on the “Get In” button


2. Create an account and click the “To Get Focused on Philanthropy” challenge on the bulletin board (on the left piece of paper)


3. Click the “Subscribe” target button and start the challenge!