Let's Move!: First Lady Michelle Obama Visits New Hampshire's Penacook Community Center

Preschoolers receive gift of White House honey; Concord joins Let's Move Cities and Towns...
En route to Boston, Mass., for two campaign fundraisers on Friday afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama first dropped by Penacook Community Center in Concord, New Hampshire. She visited with a class of about 30 pre-schoolers, and praised the center, which has a vegetable garden and provides fitness opportunities for kids. Mrs. Obama did some pretend grocery shopping with the kids, using plastic veggies, and then shared a snack of apple slices dipped in honey and yogurt. The honey, she said, came from the White House Beehive. Mrs. Obama plied comic Jay Leno with apple slices and White House honey during a January visit to The Tonight Show.
New Hampshire First Lady Susan Lynch, wife of Gov. John Lynch, joined Mrs. Obama for her visit. (Above: Mrs. Obam and the kids)

"We answered a couple of questions," Mrs. Obama said. "Someone wanted to know if the President was still alive. I assured him -- I assured the young man that he was in fact alive and well."

Clad in a blue suit with a sparkling brooch, Mrs. Obama danced with the pre-schoolers, doing a bunny-hop version of the Hokey Pokey, putting her hands on her head as bunny ears and hopping around.

New Hampshire's efforts with Let's Move!...
During remarks to about 100 locals in the gym after the classroom visit, including Concord Mayor Jim Bouley, Mrs. Obama announced that PCC will be joining Let's Move Childcare, the earliest-childhood component of her childhood obesity campaign, designed for birth-preschool.

"Everything that I’ve seen here at Penacook Community Center all are perfect examples of what we’re trying to accomplish with Let's Move," Mrs. Obama said.

Participants in Let's Move Childcare make pledges to boost physical activity for children, reduce passive screen time, and adopt healthier food protocols. Concord, according to Mrs. Obama, is now the second town in New Hampshire to join Let's Move Cities and Towns, a component of the campaign that encourages entire communities to adopt the campaign.

"And the New Hampshire Department of Education will be leading a statewide effort with the goal of signing up 30 new schools for the HealthierUS School Challenge by the end of 2013, and doubling that number by the end of 2015," Mrs. Obama said.

"Every day, people across this country are coming together on behalf of our children."

In Boston, Mrs. Obama delivered remarks at two fundraisers at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston at 100 Northern Avenue, sponsored by New England Women for Change. Tickets for the 4:00 PM reception began at $500 and go up to $5,000; for the 5:30 PM dinner, tickets began at $5,000 and went up to $25,000 for Host Committee, which included a photo op with the First Lady. Proceeds benefit Obama Victory Fund 2012.

The transcript of Mrs. Obama's remarks.

*AP photos