An ice cream and fudge stop during private tour through Western states; Secret Service in South Dakota days ahead of the trip... On vacation in the Western US, First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday sampled sweet treats from the Black Hills of South Dakota with daughters Malia, 13, and Sasha, 10. The trio made two stops on Wednesday, including a visit to Mount Rushmore, near Keystone, SD, and a stop in Las Vegas, NV. They traveled by plane and in a ten-plus vehicle motorcade, withoutPresident Obama, who has just returned home from Korea.(Above: Mrs. Obama is visible through the window of her Suburban in Keystone, SD)
“Mrs. Obama and her daughters are taking a private family trip to the western United States,” said Mrs. Obama's Communications Director, Kristina Schake.
Mrs. Obama's trip was not announced to reporters as part of her schedule. Schake confirmed the trip with the Las Vegas Sun after the paper queried about a scheduled special closure at the local airport. Malia is newly reunited with her mother after a class trip to Mexico that was "interrupted" by a huge earthquake. Mrs. Obama and the girls last traveled out west over the Presidents Day holiday in February for a ski trip to Colorado.
Ice Cream, Fudge, and Mt. Rushmore... After visiting Mt. Rushmore early on Wednesday, Mrs. Obama and the girls stopped at Turtle Town, a sweet shop in Keystone, located on the town's main drag, Winter Street. The homey place serves "old fashioned" ice cream and "the finest" fudge. Manager Deb Splinterdished all to the Rapid City Journal, which also reported that Secret Service agents had been in the town for days ahead of the visit.
Mrs. Obama and the girls arrived at Turtle Town at 3:45 PM and stayed for about half an hour.
“It was nice, really nice seeing her and the girls,” Splinter said minutes after Mrs. Obama departed. “We had fudge and ice cream, and we all sat and visited. The girls were very sweet.”
“I’d had a strange call earlier asking if we were open and when we closed,” Splinter said. “And they asked if they got here at 3:30 they’d be OK. I said sure.”
But nobody arrived at 3:30. And when 3:45 arrived, Splinter decided to close up shop. She had taken out the trash and was cleaning up when the First Lady's motorcade pulled up, she said.
As the First Lady and the girls dined in "the cozy eating area of the store," two gray Suburbans waited outside the front door, along with other SUVs, as Secret Service agents stood in the street watching people and traffic and scanning the rooftops. Members of the Rapid City-Pennington County special response team stood nearby, and deputies and state troopers managed traffic. A van marked DCI Bomb Squad pulling a trailer drove past the shop heading back toward Rapid City.
The treat stop came after a visit to Mount Rushmore that restricted access to parts of the memorial and required visitors during that period to go through security checkpoints. The Obamas flew into Ellsworth Air Force Base earlier in the day and rode in a gray Suburban that was part of a motorcade of about 10 vehicles. Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom said after the Obamas had departed that Secret Service agents were in town days in advance preparing for the visit.
Mrs. Obama will be in Los Angeles, CA on Saturday to attend the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards.
Info: Turtle Town is at 117 Winter Street, Keystone, South Dakota, 57752. Phone: 605-666-4675
During tree planting, Mrs. Obama suggests a woman will be President in 2112... It has been 100 years since Cherry trees arrived in Washington, DC, and First Lady Michelle Obama marked the centennial on Tuesday morning during a ceremony at the Tidal Basin, where she planted a sapling. She was joined for the very chilly event by Japanese Ambassador Ichiro Fujisaki, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and William H. Taft IV, the great-grandson of President William Howard Taft and First Lady Helen Taft. (Above: Mrs. Obama prepares shovels dirt around the new sapling)
A century ago, Mrs. Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, planted the first of 3,000 Cherry trees presented by the city of Tokyo to the city of Washington, DC as a symbol of friendship.
Before she picked up her shovel, Mrs. Obama postulated that perhaps a woman will be President when her new sapling is 100 years old; she said she hoped that "the First Lady--or the First Gentleman--of 2112 will also have the privilege of joining with our friends from Japan, and planting another tree which will bloom for yet another one hundred years and beyond."
The District's annual Cherry Blossom Festival came early this year, thanks to very warm weather, and the trees are almost done with their gorgeous display. Mrs. Obama noted the trees' resilience in her remarks, and said it reminds her of the resilience of the Japanese people following last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami:
People from both of our nations worked together for years to bring these trees here to Washington. And over the past century, people of all ages from the U.S. and Japan and so many other nations have come to this Tidal Basin each spring to marvel at their beauty. And year after year, even after the coldest, darkest, stormiest winters, these trees have continued to bloom.
So on this historic anniversary, we don’t just admire the beauty of these trees, we also admire their resilience. And in so doing, we are reminded of the extraordinary resilience of the Japanese people. Over the past year, we have all witnessed their courage, unity and grace as they have come together and begun the very hard work of rebuilding their nation.
First Lady praises leaders from across the US who have created unique programs... The White House on Thursday will welcome ten citizens who have been longtime leaders in bringing physical activity and nutrition programs to their communities, honoring them as Let's Move! "Champions of Change" during a visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Now in its third year, First Lady Michelle Obama's childhood obesity campaign has a renewed emphasis on getting children active, and the Champions have each created unique projects. (Above: Mrs. Obama during a Let's Move! event earlier this month in North Carolina)
"I’m so proud that leaders like these have found new and exciting ways to help our kids get up and moving," Mrs. Obama said.
The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative, and today's group is the first to be honored for community achievements in physical activity; chefs were honored last year. The honorees come from around the US, and have impacted the lives of thousands of children and youth with projects ranging from soccer, to using public lands for physical activity, to a program for differently abled athletes run by an Iraq war veteran. During their visit, the Champions will meet with policy advisors for a roundtable, and tour the White House.
"If we’re going to end our nation’s epidemic of childhood obesity, we need to make sure our kids get the physical activity and nutritious foods they need to grow up healthy and strong," Mrs. Obama said. "These leaders have done just that, and that’s what makes them true champions for their communities and our country.”
The White House is also encouraging schools to embrace physical activity, with Let's Move in School, a subcomponent of the campaign. Last week, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass visited Boston, MA to speak at a "Let's Move in School Showcase," presented by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Kass was joined by sports icons Doug Flutie, a Heisman Trophy winner, and Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist in track and field, as he met with representatives from area schools and students.
UPDATE: The video of the entire roundtable:
Below, from the White House, the list of Let's Move! Physical Activity Champions of Change, and their bios.
Let's Move! Physical Activity Champions of Change
1. Andre Ashley, Portland, OR Ashley has been employed with Portland Parks & Recreation for the past 18 years and directing Sports Programs for more than a decade. In his role as Sports Management Supervisor, Andre works with the many users of Portland Parks & Recreation’s sports fields to ensure access for sports of all kinds and athletes of all ages. He oversees the city’s wide range of sports programming, which ranges from competitive league sports to casual leagues to individual recreation, and sports facilities.
2. Hector Avila, Houston, TX Avila is the Program Coordinator for the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) “Soccer for Success” program, an inner city soccer program that focuses on life skills development through sports. Funded by a grant from the US Soccer Foundation, the program offers over 1,000 low-income youth the opportunity to learn soccer and much more. Hector Avila knows the long term benefits this type of programming offers as he, too, benefited from a free soccer program that changed his life and career path.
At 16, a free HPARD program offered him the opportunity to learn soccer. When he was 18, the same HPARD soccer program offered him a job and a way to give back to his community. Today, Mr. Avila holds licenses from both the United States Soccer Federation and the South Texas Youth Soccer Association. For 14 years he has dedicated his life to working with inner city youth to teach them soccer, team work, life skills development and healthy and active lifestyles.
HPARD’s “Soccer for Success” program is a model for the benefits that sports can bring to the lives of young people. Hector Avila is an example of the way free athletic and academic programs can turn young lives in directions that benefit them and society as a whole.
3. Sarah Bucher, Toledo, OH Bucher is the Director of Healthy Living at the YMCA and JCC of Greater Toledo, works to improve the nutrition and physical activity of employees and participants in companies, child care centers and YMCA programs. Sarah has helped increase the health and well-being of children in 27 child development centers by educating teachers, implementing a physical activity and nutrition curriculum, overseeing hydroponic gardens, and improving the quality of food being served.
In an effort to improve the overall health of the community, Sarah brought community leaders together to create lasting policy, systems and environmental changes at local and state levels. Through Sarah’s leadership, the YMCA and its community partners are continuing the fight against childhood obesity.
4. Robert Castaneda, Chicago, IL Castaneda is the co-founder, along with his wife Amy, and executive director of Beyond the Ball, a sports-based youth and community development organization which uses the power of sport to change lives, give hope, reclaim space and develop a culture of opportunities for youth and families in Chicago. In 1998, gang members twice set the Castaneda’s house on fire in retaliation for reporting gang activity to the police. Instead of giving in to gang intimidation, Rob and Amy decided to stay in their house and have dedicated their lives to making their west side community of Little Village a peaceful place through sport and play.
Beyond the Ball now serves over 2,500 residents throughout the year, using sport to teach personal and social responsibility. In 2010, selected from over 400 organizations from 120 countries around the world, Beyond the Ball received a Beyond Sport “Most Courageous Use of Sport Award,” for Project Play, a program designed to reclaim public play spaces from gangs. Robert was also selected as a 2012 Chicago Community Trust Emerging Leader Fellow for his continued efforts to bring life back to his community, making it healthier physically and socially.
5. Cindy Coughlin, Springfield, MA Coughlin is a physical education and health teacher at Alice B. Beal Elementary School in Springfield, Massachusetts. She has been working in the Springfield Public School system for 11 years and has been teaching for 17 years. Throughout her teaching career Cindy has worked to teach children the importance of exercise and healthy eating habits. Her hope is that children will take the lessons that they have learned about healthy lifestyles and use that knowledge to make changes that will last for a lifetime. In 2011 Cindy was named Massachusetts’ Program Advisor of the Year for Fuel Up To Play 60. She serves on the executive board for Massachusetts Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MAHPERD). Cindy is member of the Schools Committee for the New England United States Tennis Association (USTA).
6. Cameron Hajialiakbar, Los Angles, CA Hajialiakbar is the founder and president of the Coaching Corps chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Coaching Corps trains, and places volunteer coaches into after-school programs serving girls and boys in low-income communities to bridge the ever-growing access gap between those that have and those that don’t have access to quality youth sports programming with trained and caring coaches. Cameron joined Coaching Corps as an AmeriCorps member in 2011 and his passion for direct service influenced him to expand the program into the greater Los Angeles area. Cameron is currently a third year student at UCLA where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communication studies with plans to continue on to law school.
7. Richard Kozoll, MD, MPH, Cuba, NM Kozoll has practiced family and preventive medicine in the small community of Cuba, New Mexico since 1975. An avid outdoors person, Richard has increasingly devoted his time to creating opportunities for an active outdoor lifestyle in his community through leadership of a Federal, State and local partnership, Step Into Cuba.
The program connects local people – especially youth – to surrounding public lands through trail development, community campaigns, point-of decision prompts, exercise prescriptions and referrals, social support and roadway pedestrian enhancements. Step Into Cuba was awarded the 2010 American Trails’ national Trails for Health award. His personal reward is observing his neighbors and patients improve their health through introduction of outdoor physical activity into their lives.
8. Kenny Owens, Washington, DC Owens is a native of Washington, DC and a Woodrow Wilson Senior High School alumnus. Kenny is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he was a four-year starter on the men’s soccer team, including captain his senior year. Prior to DC SCORES, Kenny taught Sports and Society at SEED PCS in Southeast Washington and coached middle school basketball and soccer. Kenny holds a USSF ‘C’ Coaches License and a State Diploma from the NSCAA. Kenny joined DC SCORES in 2006 and is responsible for DC SCORES’ elementary and middle school soccer leagues as well as the training of DC SCORES’ soccer coaches.
9. Melissa Stockwell Stockwell is an above the knee amputee from the war in Iraq and a World Champion Paratriathlete. In early 2011 she co-founded the dare2tri Paratriathlon club with two friends, Keri and Dan, with the goal of getting athletes with disabilities to the starting line of a triathlon. As avid triathletes, the 3 of them truly believed that these athletes would gain confidence that would carry over into all aspects of their life by challenging themselves in the sport of triathlon. Dare2tri currently serves over 85 athletes and 120 volunteers and runs by the motto that “One Inspires Many’ as they inspire anyone that they encounter.
The athletes, youth, adult and injured service members, are continually pushing the limits in what they are capable of and they look forward to seeing how many lives they can impact!
10. Shawanda Weems, Bronx, NY For over ten years, Weems has been an English teacher at PS/MS 15 in the Bronx, New York, who, in collaboration with the Youth and Community Division of New York Road Runners, has established youth-running-for fitness programs, which serve more than 350 children in her school. Shawanda has seen firsthand the correlation between physical education and academic excellence and the tremendous positive impact of both on student lives.
Ms. Weems coaches a Young Runners team for 50 elementary and middle school students ages 10-16, a program that combines cross country with track, and leads a Mighty Milers program which services 300 elementary school students ages 5-9. Since 2004, her efforts before, after, and during the school day, including many weekends, have enabled her to bring students to special New York Road Runners running-related events. She is making the physical activity of running, along with the collateral component of goal-setting, a prominent element of her school’s culture and her students’ lives.
Let's Move! goes to London... First Lady Michelle Obama visited Bender Arena Sports Center at American University on Tuesday for a Let's Move! mini-Olympics event in honor of the Official Visit of Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Mrs. Samantha Cameron. After watching local students participate in sports events with Olympians and Paralympians, Mrs. Obama announced that she will lead the Presidential Delegation to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. (Above: Mrs. Obama during her remarks; Mrs. Cameron is in pink)
The White House announcement is below. It notes that it has been a past tradition for First Ladies to lead such delegations. In 2009, President Obama and Mrs. Obama traveled separately to Denmark to make an impassioned appeal to the International Olympics Committee for the 2016 Summer Olympics to be located in their hometown of Chicago. They were unsuccessful. CLICK HERE for links to all posts about the Camerons' visit.
The White House announcement:
Washington: First Lady Michelle Obama will lead the Presidential Delegation to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London. Mrs. Obama made the announcement at an event with Mrs. Samantha Cameron celebrating the Olympic Games and Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. At the event, Olympians and Paralympians including Kortney Clemons, Dominique Dawes, Tom Dolan, April Holmes, Lisa Leslie, Lori Ann Lindsey, Dan O’Brien, Becky Sauerbrunn, David Wagner and Mal Washington led DC-area school children in activities inspired by the Olympic Games.
Mrs. Obama emphasized her hope that the Olympic Games will inspire more young people to get active and healthy, the goal of her Let’s Move! initiative.
“In the months ahead, I’ll be talking to Americans all across the country to encourage even more young people to tap into that Olympic spirit and turn their inspiration into action,” said Mrs. Obama. “As the Olympic creed states, ‘the most important thing … is not to win, but to take part.’ And that doesn’t just mean sitting and watching, it means getting up and getting active as well. I hope we use the upcoming games as motivation for all of us to get up and get moving. This is especially true for our young people. You don’t have to be a gold medal winner or the best athlete at your school to take part. You don’t even have to play an organized sport. You can dance in the living room, ride your bike around the neighborhood, or go for a walk with your friends. Everyone can find some way to be healthy, get active, and have some fun.”
“Olympians are ambassadors of their country so it is only fitting that our nation’s leaders show support for the Games. Mrs. Obama’s support will only further invigorate the athletes’ desire to bring home the gold and motivate all Americans to be active,” said Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympic gymnast and co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, who emceed today’s event. “Today my work on behalf of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition is a way for me to give back to the country that supported me during my Olympic journey.”
It is traditional for a delegation to travel to the Olympic Games to represent the United States. In the coming months, the White House will announce the official delegates accompanying Mrs. Obama to London. Other First Ladies that have led a Presidential Delegation to the Olympic Games include First Lady Laura Bush to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy and then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
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The Olympians and Paralympians who joined Mrs. Obama at the event were Dominique Dawes, co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition; Kortney Clemons, April Holmes, Lisa Leslie, Lori Ann Lindsey, Dan O’Brien, Becky Sauerbrunn and David Wagner.
Today is the US Department of Agriculture's national "What's on MyPlate Day?," designed "to heighten public awareness of the importance of choosing nutritious foods for a healthy meal" and encourage the use of the MyPlate icon to design meals built around the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. USDA is asking citizens to post photos of their Myplate meals to Twitter all day, using the hashtag #MyPlate. The agency tweeted a photo of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack's lunch, above, writing on @USDA "Healthy #MyPlate pic courtesy of Secretary Vilsack himself! Chicken, veggies, whole grains and milk." Above, a photo of ObFo's #MyPlate lunch: Broccoli, kale, spinach, sweet peppers, lots of garlic with tofu and brown rice buried under the veggies, and more mini sweet peppers on the side. There's water behind President Obama's smiling face. First Lady Michelle Obamaunveiled the MyPlate icon last year as part of the Let's Move! campaign.
Today's social media MyPlate event is part of the celebration of National Nutrition Month. For those interested in eating White House-style, the chefs have created two special MyPlate recipes: CLICK HERE for the recipes for Seared Tilapia and Fried Rice with Broccoli and Carrots. CLICK HERE for White House Turkey Lasagna with Spinach. The recipes include video demonstrations from Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass. Check the blog sidebar for more White House recipes; many can anchor a MyPlate meal.
Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov for more information on the icon, and LetsMove.gov for more information on the First Lady's campaign.
Participants can use White House recipes & Tweet photos of their meals... Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that nearly 6,000 USDA partners have teamed up to deem Thursday, March 8th as "What's on My Plate?" day, in an effort "to heighten public awareness of the importance of choosing nutritious foods for a healthy meal." It's part of the celebration of National Nutrition Month, and designed to promote "a diet that reflects the latest recommendations in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans." First Lady Michelle Obamaunveiled the MyPlate icon last year as part of the Let's Move! campaign. USDA is encouraging those who participate on Thursday to Tweet photos of their MyPlate meals, using the hashtag #MyPlate.
For those interested in eating White House-style, the chefs have created two special MyPlate recipes: CLICK HERE for the recipes for Seared Tilapia and Fried Rice with Broccoli and Carrots. CLICK HERE for White House Turkey Lasagna with Spinach. The recipes include video demonstrations from Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass. Check the blog sidebar for more White House recipes; many can anchor a MyPlate meal.
"USDA is committed to helping Americans make healthier food choices and our MyPlate symbol is a simple reminder to think before we eat," Vilsack said.
"Our public and private sector national partners represent an important cross-section of industry, advocates and academia pulling toward a common goal of improving the health our country through diet and in many cases reversing childhood obesity."
Download the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans [PDF]. Visit ChooseMyPlate.gov for more information on the icon, and LetsMove.gov for more information on the First Lady's campaign.
From USDA's press release about "What's on MyPlate" Day:
The goal of "What's on My Plate?" day is to create a nationwide buzz about food choices on March 8 as part of national Nutrition Month activities. By leveraging the strengths of social networks such as blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, to promote MyPlate and its related messages and resources like the new SuperTracker and the ChooseMyPlate.gov website, these resources empower consumers with the how-tos to build healthier plates. A key goal is to encourage Partners and their constituents to take action on the quarterly message, "Enjoy your food, but eat less," and tell their stories, and share photographs of personal successes. The public can post pictures of their plates on Twitter using the #MyPlate hashtag or on Flickr.
"Partners along with the general public can use the hashtag #MyPlateYourPlate to tie into this social media event."
As part of this effort, USDA urges consumers to put MyPlate into action by taking a photo of their healthful plates to share on Twitter with the hash-tag #MyPlate. USDA also wants to see where and when consumers think about healthy eating. Take the plate and snap a photograph with MyPlate to share with our USDA Flickr Photo Group [http://www.flickr.com/groups/choosemyplate/].
Administered by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), the Nutrition Communicators Network provides an opportunity for different communities and different organizations to join together in helping promote the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A calendar for upcoming messages and a schedule of rollouts is available at ChooseMyPlate.gov by clicking on Partners.
The majority of the partnerships are in the Community Partner category. Community Partners can commit to any level of involvement from developing an outreach program for their community to posting a link to the ChooseMyPlate.gov website to incorporating Federal nutrition content in a communication product. Community Partners include but are not limited to dietitians, educators, community programs, doctors, schools, and authors.
National Strategic Partners consist of companies and organizations that are national in scope and fulfill the following requirements: They must have a health mandate consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and will promote nutrition in the context of the entirety of the Guidelines. They will disseminate Dietary Guidelines messages, and will participate with CNPP to develop joint nutrition promotion plan annually. Examples of National Strategic Partners include large, national organizations such as healthcare corporations, media outlets, grocery retailers, health professional associations, restaurant chains, and food manufacturers.
Those interested in signing up as a Community or National Strategic Partner or viewing a list of current members can click on Partners at ChooseMyPlate.gov or follow us on Twitter. ##
Video preview of March 4th episode... First Lady Michelle Obama will discuss the Let's Move! campaign and the role of faith in her life in an interview that will air on BET Network show "Lift Every Voice" on Sunday, March 4. The First Lady filmed the interview with host Cory Condrey after her keynote speech for the second anniversary tour, given at Northland, a Church Distributed, in Florida on Feb. 11. (Above: Mrs. Obama with Condrey)
"We can't fool ourselves into thinking that we're gonna be good servants of God, good parents if we're not whole inside, I mean we've got to feed our bodies with the best stuff we can," Mrs. Obama tells Condrey.
The episode will feature clips from the Northland event, which spotlighted the Let's Move! Faith and Communities component of the campaign. Mrs. Obama will discusses "why she chose to tackle childhood obesity, other causes near and dear to her heart and the importance of faith and family in her life," according to BET.
Singer Yolanda Adams will also perform on the episode. The show premieres on Sunday, March 4, at 10 AM ET/9 Central with an encore presentation at 11 AM/10 Central.
Mrs. Obama attended the filming of the BET Honors award show earlier this year.
Excerpt from the transcript... In an interview that will air on Wednesday, First Lady Michelle Obama discusses the Let's Move! campaign with SIRIUS XM subscription radio talk show host Joe Madison. She also discusses her personal fitness regime, a topic she's recently spent a lot of time performing on TV and pledges to continue her childhood obesity work after she leaves the White House. The interview is one of a series Mrs. Obama did while on the road for the three-day Let's Move! anniversary tour. (Above: A White House photo of Mrs. Obama and Madison, taken during the interview) "I am committed to continuing to focus on this issue, to shine a light on it, to lift it up because it’s not going to go away with just a few tours...and…a couple of years in office," Mrs. Obama said about her childhood obesity efforts.
The interview came after Mrs. Obama's Feb. 11 keynote speech for the tour, delivered to an audience of about 3,000 at Northland, a Church Distributed, located in Longwood, Florida. It will air between 6-10 AM ET on Wednesday, with an encore at 8:00 PM ET on Madison's The Joe Madison Show on "The Power" channel (Sirius and XM channel 128). In addition to her media outings during the tour, Mrs. Obama had four events in Florida, two in Texas, and one each in Iowa and Arkansas during her three days on the road.
A partial transcript:
Joe Madison: “Talk about how the Obamas live what they preach when it comes to…[the ‘Let’s Move’ initiative]….how do you work out when you are on the road?”
Mrs. Obama: “….I brought a jump rope and in my hotel room, I got up this morning and I jump roped. I did seven sets of 500, so by the time I finished I had done about 3500 jumps…I had my cardio in, took a shower, got ready, got dressed and I’m here.
Even before coming to the White House, we were always physically active….I would get up in the morning, my mom would come over if Barack was traveling and he wasn’t home so that I could get up. I got up at 4:30 am in the morning to go the gym and get that done before the girls got up so by the time I got back they were just getting up to get ready for school. But I prioritized that. I…said I would sleep a little bit less [and] go to bed early, but if I don’t get that done in the beginning of the day, the day just gets away….you go to work and work takes over. Then you are tired, you come home…then you stop prioritizing yourself. So I thought, I’ve got to get up and prioritize my own health before I do anything else—work, [or] taking care of my kids….
The President is the same way…he works out every single day, even on his busiest days, even when he’s on the road he goes down to the gym. There’s got to be a treadmill, there’s a treadmill on Air Force One…if he’s got a long distance flight….because he needs that now….that’s the way he burns off a lot of stress. So it’s critical.”
Madison: …“After your years in the White House and I hope it’s no time soon [that you leave], is this something that Michelle Obama [as] former first lady will continue beyond her years in the White House?”
Mrs. Obama: “Absolutely…this is a cause that can’t be solved in a few years. It’ll take generations for us to change the way our children see food and how they raise their kids and how communities…[will be]… structured…I’m writing a book that is going to focus on the White House kitchen garden and the proceeds of that are going to be used to deal with this issue, to look at community gardens, and I’m already looking for ways to keep the conversation going long after I’m out of this position So, yes, I am committed to continuing to focus on this issue, to shine a light on it, to lift it up because it’s not going to go away with just a few tours and….a couple of years in office.”
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Madison's bio from SIRIUS XM: "Joe Madison, AKA “The Black Eagle”, is a human and civil rights activist, abolitionist against slavery in Southern Sudan, television commentator, columnist, lecturer, labor and corporate spokesman, musician and athlete. He is the former executive director of the Detroit NAACP and was later named director of the national NAACP political action department."
27 projects include Growing Power, Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, Uncommon Good... The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced $4.8 million in funding for 27 grants to local organizations to build community food systems and fight hunger and food insecurity for FY 2011. The awards were made by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture through its Community Food Projects program. Grants ranged from $25,000 to $300,000. Growing Power, urban farming expert Will Allen's Milwaukee, WI project, received $250;000; First Lady Michelle Obama visited the Chicago branch of the project last fall during the Let's Move! Food Desert Summit. The award-winning projects also include a teen-run community kitchen incubator, faith-based community food assessments, a program to help indigenous people return to healthful eating, and a youth-led food security movement.
"Hunger remains an important issue in the United States. Last year, 17.2 million households faced food insecurity—meaning they lacked consistent access to adequate food," said Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon. "The grants supported by the Community Food Projects empower local organizations to respond to food and nutrition needs in their own communities."
Community Food Projects have been funded in nearly 350 communities in 48 states in the program's 15-year history.
The primary goals of the Community Food Projects program are to (1) meet the food needs of low-income individuals; (2) increase the food self-reliance of low-income communities; (3) promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues; and (4) meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs, including needs relating to infrastructure improvement and development, planning for long-term solutions and the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers.
Fiscal Year 2011 awards include:
Juneau Cooperative Christian Ministry, Juneau, Alaska, $93,825
International Sonoran Desert Alliance, Ajo, Ariz., $163,807
Developing Innovations in Navajo Education, Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz., $116,863
Uncommon Good, Claremont, Calif., $300,000
North Oxnard United Methodist Church, Oxnard, Calif., $24,884
Urban Tilth, Richmond, Calif., $300,000
North Coast Opportunities, Inc., Ukiah, Calif.; $300,000
Las Animas Helping Hands, Las Animas, Colo, $25,000
Kokua Kalihi Valley Comprehensive Family Services, Honolulu, Hawaii, $25, 000
Matthew 25 Ministry Hub, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, $25,000
Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture, Kansas City, Kansas, $124,587
Good Shepherd Food-Bank, Auburn, Maine, $25,000
Cultivating Community, Portland, Maine, $300,000
United Teen Equality Center, Lowell, Mass., $297,767
Youth Farm and Market Project, Minneapolis, Minn., $299,660
Rio Puerco Alliance, Santa Fe, N.M., $25,000
Society for the Preservation of Weeksville and Bedford Stuyvesant History, Brooklyn, N.Y., $197,500
PathStone Community Improvement of Newburgh, Newburgh, N.Y., $25,000
Why Hunger, New York City, N.Y., $250,000
Community Food Security Coalition, Portland, Ore, $250,000
Friends of Zenger Farm, Portland, Ore., $187,860
Urban Tree Connection, Philadelphia, Pa., $300,000
Women's Community Revitalization Project, Philadelphia, Pa., $269,317
Staunton Creative Community Fund, Inc., Staunton, Va., $25,000
Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Community Center, Madison, Wis., $298,930
Growing Power, Milwaukee, Wis., $250,000
More information on USDA hunger efforts... USDA's Household Food Security in the United States, 2010 report found that the percentage of very low food security declined from 5.7 percent of households in 2009 to 5.4 percent in 2010. The USDA study indicates that in 2010, 17.2 million households in America had difficulty providing enough food due to a lack of resources. The number of food insecure households in 2010 was relatively consistent with statistics released in 2008 and 2009.
The report also indicates that 59 percent of all food-insecure households participated in one or more of the three largest nutrition assistance programs near the time of the survey. In fiscal year 2010, these programs provided much needed food assistance to millions of individuals, children and families in need:
In an average month of fiscal year 2011, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provided benefits to 44.7 million people in the United States.
In fiscal year 2011, the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provided meals to an average of 31.8 million children each school day.
In fiscal year 2011, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) served an average 9 million participants.
Food insecurity rates were substantially higher than the national average for households with incomes near or below the current federal poverty line ($22,350 for a family of four), households with children headed by single women or single men, and black and Hispanic households. Food insecurity was more common in large cities and rural areas than in suburban areas and other outlying areas around large cities.
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.
First Lady: The campaign is working...and the President loves nachos and guacamole; Transcript & Video... On the heels of the second anniversary tour for Let's Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama today published an editorial on CNN's website to recap the progress of her national campaign. She writes that she was initially worried that a campaign to combat childhood obesity would be impossible, but the last two years have proven otherwise. Mrs. Obama also took questions via video on CNN's iReport to mark the anniversary, and answers them in the video, below. (Above: A screenshot of Mrs. Obama answering a question)
"Over the past two years, we have seen a new conversation in this country about how we live and eat and how that affects the health and well-being of our kids," Mrs. Obama writes in her editorial. "Since we launched Let's Move!, people from every corner of this country who care about our children's futures have stepped up and proved the conventional wisdom wrong."
In the video, Mrs. Obama holds an iPad and pretends to watch the video questions that were sent in by CNN users. Among other topics, she answers questions about President Obama's favorite snack--nachos and chips is the First Lady'scurrent favorite answer ("he has a weakness for them"), and whether or not daughters Malia and Sasha are allowed to eat junk food. She also describes her crushingly difficult fitness routine, the benefits of which have lately been on display on national TV. The First Lady's editorial:
"Working Together for the Health of America's Children" By First Lady Michelle Obama
Back when we first launched Let's Move! -- a nationwide initiative to end our childhood obesity epidemic -- in the back of my mind, I wondered whether it was really possible to make a difference.
I knew how serious this problem is. Nearly one in three of our children are overweight or obese, at risk for illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer that cost our economy billions of dollars each year to treat.
I also knew the conventional wisdom on this issue. There's the assumption that kids don't like healthy food, so why try to feed it to them? There's the belief that healthy food doesn't sell as well, so companies will never change the products they offer. And there's the sense that this problem is so big and entrenched that no matter what we do, we'll never be able to solve it.
But over the past two years, we have seen a new conversation in this country about how we live and eat and how that affects the health and well-being of our kids. Since we launched Let's Move!, people from every corner of this country who care about our children's futures have stepped up and proved the conventional wisdom wrong.
Food manufacturers have pledged to cut 1.5 trillion calories from the products they sell. Local grocers and national chains such as Walgreens and SuperValu are building new supermarkets and expanding existing stores to sell fresh food in 1,500 underserved communities. Restaurants are transforming their kids' menus, packing them with healthier options.
Mayors are planting gardens and refurbishing parks. Congregations are sponsoring summer nutrition programs for kids and exercise ministries for families. Congress passed historic legislation to provide healthier school meals, getting more fruits and vegetables and other nutritious food to the tens of millions of children who eat school breakfasts and lunches each day. We're also working to install salad bars in 6,000 schools, and more than 3,400 professional chefs have signed up to help schools improve their menus.
Celebrities from Beyonce to LeBron James to Drew Brees are serving as role models, inspiring our kids to dance, dribble and pass their way to a healthier life. And more than one million children have earned the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award by exercising an hour a day, five days a week, for six weeks. Most important of all, parents all across this country are making important changes for their families.
They're pushing their kids to be more active. They're reading those food labels and rethinking the meals and snacks they serve. And they're coming together to advocate for healthier food in their kids' schools and more opportunities for their kids to get active in their communities. In the end, that's really what Let's Move! is all about.
Government certainly doesn't have all the answers here; there's no one-size-fits-all program or policy that will solve this problem. Every community and every family is different, and each of us needs to make changes that fit with our budgets, our needs and our tastes.
But in the end, we all have a stake in solving this problem because we all love our children and want them to have every opportunity to pursue their dreams. And we all love our country and know that we as a nation cannot fulfill our promise unless our children can fulfill their promise. So we all need to step up and do our part. And while it won't be easy, I am confident that if we keep coming together and working together, we'll be able to give our kids everything they need for the bright, healthy futures they so richly deserve.
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*CLICK HERE for all posts about the Let's Move! tour, which had eight stops in four states.
Florida Finale: Disney Channel stars join First Lady for final stop on three-day tour... Orlando, FLA: For the eighth and final stop on the three-day Let's Move! anniversary tour, First Lady Michelle Obama on Saturday joined about 800 kids at the Walt Disney World Resort to dance and play sports. The event came shortly after Mrs. Obama's appearance in Longwood, Florida, at the headquarters of Northland, a Church Distributed, where she gave the keynote speech of her eight-event trip. (Above: Mrs. Obama dancing with Perry the Platypus, and Disney actors Debby Ryan and Rosero McCoy)
Members of the audience from Northland were invited to join Mrs. Obama at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and the other guests were hand-picked by the White House, according to a Disney spokesman. Florida, a battleground state for the 2012 election, had four events for the First Lady's tour: A WebMd townhall on Friday afternoon in Homestead, and a private dinner with the Halls Family on Friday evening, as well as the speech at Northland. Mrs. Obama last visited Florida on January 26th to unveil a Let's Move! commitment from Goya Foods. President Obama visited Disney World in January to unveil his plans to boost tourism.
"You guys know I like to dance," Mrs. Obama told the thrilled crowd at the resort. "I haven't completely gotten the dance down, but I'm going to watch you all -- right?" She did fine:
Disney has joined Let's Move! with the "Magic of Healthy Living" campaign, and the First Lady was joined at the event by Florida Senator Bill Nelson, who performed 50 military push-ups to show how seriously he takes fitness. Mrs. Obama made brief remarks, and she danced "The Platypus Walk" with the kids, from the Disney TV show "Phineas and Ferb." She also played a few rounds of junior tennis, and ran around with the kids. Disney Channel stars Debby Ryan, Roshon Fegan, Doc Shaw, Kelsey Chow, and Olivia Holt joined Mrs. Obama.
CLICK HERE for all posts about the First Lady's tour, which kicked off on Feb. 9 with an arena event for 14,000 kids in Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. Obama was accompanied on her trip by Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass; her Chief of Staff, Tina Tchen; top Domestic Policy Advisor, Jocelyn Frye; Communications Director, Kristina Schake; and Press Secretary Hannah August, among others. Members of the White House new media team and photographers also traveled to capture the action, which included filming a segment for Bravo TV show Top Chef.
The transcript of the First Lady's remarks:
THE WHITE HOUSE _________________________________
Office of the First Lady
For Immediate Release February 11, 2012
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY AT A "LET'S MOVE FAITH AND COMMUNITIES" PHYSICAL ACTIVITY WITH DISNEY MAGIC OF HEALTHY LIVING
ESPN Wide World of Sports Walt Disney World Orlando, Florida
2:25 P.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Oh, my gosh! You guys be careful! (Applause.) Oh, wow! It sounds like you all are having some good fun out here! (Applause.)
You know, I am happy to be here. We are celebrating the second anniversary of "Let's Move." I have been traveling all over the country -- I've been to Iowa, watching how kids are eating well and changing their schools. I've been to Dallas, with "Top Chef." (Applause.) And we've made -- Dallas! (Applause.) I had some good dinner here in Florida. And now I'm hanging out with all of you.
And I just want to thank Disney and all that they have done to support "Let's Move" and to make sure that our kids are eating right and being active. Right? We want to give Disney a big round of applause. (Applause.)
So now I hear you all have been practicing something for me. You've got a little dance you want to show me?
AUDIENCE: Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: You guys know I like to dance. I haven't completely gotten the dance down, but I'm going to watch you all -- right? All right, you all ready to do some dancing?
AUDIENCE; Yes!
MRS. OBAMA: Let's do it!
END 2:27 P.M. EST
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*Top photo via Disney; second by Chuck Kennedy/White House
Speaking in Longwood, Florida at Northland, A Church Distributed on Saturday, First Lady Michelle Obama highlighted the second anniversary of the Let’s Move! campaign by announcing the "Communities on the Move Video Challenge." She invited faith-based, community, and other non-profit organizations to enter the contest with "inspiring videos about their efforts to reverse the trend of childhood obesity." The deadline is April 6, and winners will be announced in June. Full details after the jump. "The challenge will recognize community efforts that promote healthy lifestyles for kids by encouraging nutritious eating through USDA’s MyPlate icon, increasing physical activity, and/or ensuring access to healthy, affordable foods," according to the White House. Winners will be invited to visit the White House, Mrs. Obama said, in addition to receiving cash prizes. A full post about Mrs. Obama's visit to Northland IS HERE.
“America’s faith communities play a crucial role in guiding and strengthening not only our spiritual health, but our emotional and physical health as well,” Mrs. Obama said. “Over the past two years, I’ve been inspired by all of the faith leaders and congregations who have taken action to get active and eat healthier, and so we’re launching our Let’s Move! video contest to highlight some of the best examples. I know there’s so much incredible work being done – and I can’t wait to hear some of these stories first-hand at the White House.”
The contest details... Videos should be between one to three minutes long, have a clear connection to Let’s Move!, and describe how the organization entering has worked to improve the wellness of children. The organization may operate at the national or local level. Videos must focus on topics in one or more of three areas of interest: (1) healthy eating, (2) physical activity, and/or (3) access to healthy, affordable food. At some point in the video, the video must direct viewers towww.letsmove.gov for more information. For more guidance about the areas of interest, view the MyPlate Community Toolkit available at the Resources section of www.communities.challenge.gov.
There will be two winning entries selected – a First Prize winner judged by a panel of experts from Let’s Move!, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, and a Popular Choice winner selected through public voting.
Both winners will be invited to Washington, D.C. for a Let’s Move! event where they will have a special opportunity to showcase their video. They each will receive an award of $1000 to defray travel costs. In addition, up to seven Honorable Mention winners will be selected by our same panel of experts and invited to Washington, DC as well. All the winners will have their videos featured on theLet’s Move! website
Administration of the video challenge is provided by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and USDA Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. To learn more about MyPlate, visit www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Longwood, FLA: During the seventh stop on the Let's Move! second anniversary tour, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke to an audience of about 3,000 at Northland, a Church Distributed. A FULL POST IS HERE. The First Lady's four-state tour kicked off on Feb. 9 with an arena event for 14,000 kids in Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. Obama was accompanied on her trip by Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass; her Chief of Staff, Tina Tchen; top Domestic Policy Advisor, Jocelyn Frye; Communications Director, Kristina Schake; and Press Secretary Hannah August, among others. CLICK HERE for all posts about the First Lady's tour.
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the First Lady ________________________
For Immediate Release February 11, 2012
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY AT "LET'S MOVE" FAITH AND COMMUNITIES EVENT
Northland Church Longwood, Florida
10:17 A.M. EST
MRS. OBAMA: Good morning! Oh, you rest yourselves. (Laughter.) I know you've been through a lot this morning -- a little dancing, a little working out. So you need a little rest. (Laughter.)
But I want to thank you all so much. I am beyond thrilled to be here with all of you today as we celebrate the second anniversary of "Let's Move." It's a birthday. (Applause.)
And I want to start by thanking Pastor Hunter and Becky for, oh, that very kind introduction. We love those two people very dearly. They are tremendous role models to our family, to their community, to this nation. And I am grateful that they're hosting us here today. So let's give them a wonderful round of applause. (Applause.) Thank you so much.
I also want to thank Nemours for their support for today's events and for their partnership in so many of our "Let's Move" initiatives.
And finally, I want to thank all of you. We have got folks here from more than 120 congregations and organizations representing at least 15 different faiths and denominations. But we are all (applause) -- that's wonderful. That is wonderful. And you're here on a Saturday morning, which is another wonderful thing. (Laughter.) Now, that's some commitment. Like that. (Laughter.)
But we are all here today for one very simple reason -- because we love our children, and we are determined to build a future that is worthy of their promise.
That’s what so many of you are doing every day in your congregations and in your communities. Whether you volunteer with a homeless ministry of a food bank, whether you’re fighting for better health care or a cleaner environment, every day, so many of you are taking on the most urgent challenges of our time.
Every day, you’re serving God by serving others. Every day, you’re proving that when we come together to do good works, no challenge is too big, no problem too hard, and there is no such thing as a hopeless cause. No such thing. And that, more than anything else, is the story of "Let's Move."
It’s the story of a very serious challenge -- a challenge that many of us believed was too big, too complicated, too entrenched for us to solve. And that problem is our epidemic of childhood obesity -- the fact that right now, one-third of our children are overweight or obese. And they’re at risk for serious conditions like diabetes, cancer, heart disease that undermine their health, that diminish their prospects, and they cost our economy billions of dollars each year.
But the story of "Let's Move" is also the story of individuals and organizations from every sector of our society who have stepped forward to meet this challenge. It’s the story of food manufacturers who’ve pledged to cut 1.5 trillion calories from their products. Companies like Goya Foods that are giving our family the information they need to make healthy choices about what they eat. Local grocers and national chains like Walgreens, SuperValu -- they're building new supermarkets and selling fresh food in 1,500 underserved communities in this country. (Applause.)
Our restaurants are stepping up, transforming their kids’ menus, loading them with healthier options. Our mayors out there across the country, they're planting gardens, they're refurbishing parks. Congress passed historic legislation to provide healthier school meals for millions of our children. (Applause.) More than 3,400 professional chefs have signed up to help local schools improve their menus.
And then there are our celebrities -- everyone from Beyonce to LeBron to Drew Brees are serving as role models, inspiring our kids to dance, dribble and pass their way to a healthier life.
And it's important to know that all these folks are doing these things not just as business leaders who are concerned about their bottom lines -- not just as elected officials serving their constituents, or as celebrities promoting a cause. They’re doing this as parents and grandparents who care about our nation’s children. They’re doing it as citizens who know that we as a country cannot fulfill our promise unless our children can fulfill their promise. (Applause.)
And they’re doing it because they know that when children here in one of the nations -- richest nations on Earth aren’t getting the nutrition they need, when one in three of our children is on track to develop diabetes in their lifetimes, that means it’s time for us to act. Because this isn’t who we are, and it certainly isn’t who we want to be.
We know that something better is possible for our children. And we are determined to solve this problem once and for all. But we know that if we truly want to end our obesity epidemic so that our kids can have a healthier future, then we have to understand how did we get here in the first place, how did we wind up here.
So I want you all to think back, think way back -- especially the grown folks like me -- think back to when many of us were kids, all those years ago. Now, the children, you might not even understand how life was back then. (Laughter.) Most of us led reasonably healthy lives. We walked to and from school every day -- rain or shine. (Applause.) Amen. And in Chicago, where I was raised, we did it in the hail, sleet, snow, gale-force winds. (Applause.) Yes, I sound just like my grandfather. Never thought I would. (Laughter.)
Back then, our TVs only had a few channels -- you remember that? (Laughter.) Just a handful of channels. And when those Saturday morning cartoons were finished, we were done with TV. That was it. It was over. (Laughter.) Once American Bandstand and Soul Train were over -- (applause) -- you had to go outside and play -- right? And back then, playing did not involve a screen or a remote control. (Laughter.) It meant actually moving your bodies. (Laughter.) It meant riding bikes, jumping double-dutch, playing tag until our mothers called us in for dinner.
And then when we ate that dinner, we all sat around the table as a family. (Applause.) Yes. And our food wasn’t fancy. Because we didn’t have a lot of money, the portion sizes had to be reasonable -- right? (Laughter.) There was always a vegetable on the plate. (Applause.) And we ate whatever we were served. (Applause.) My mother never cared whether my brother or I liked what was on our plate. (Laughter.) We either ate what was there, or we went to bed hungry. That was the bottom line.
And in those days, we hardly ever ate out. Fast food was considered a rare treat. In fact, I tell this story often, but I can still remember the time that my brother and I convinced our grandmother to let us have takeout burgers and fries for lunch. Now, we were shocked when she finally agreed. We could barely contain our excitement. So when the food arrived, Grandma unwrapped the burger, put it on a plate -- because you had to eat on a plate no matter what you were eating -- (laughter) -- put the fries on a plate. We were sitting there all excited, and then what does she do? She opened up a can of peas. (Laughter.) She opened up a can of a can of peas. And to our horror, she served us two scoops each. My brother and I, we were like, "Grandma, no!" (Laughter.) Because fast food or not, my grandma, she believed in feeding her family a balanced meal at every single meal. Every single meal. (Applause.)
See, back then, our society was structured so that healthy eating and exercise were just natural parts of kids’ lives -- all our lives. We didn’t have to think about it, that was just the way it was.
But today, unfortunately, it’s the exact opposite. It's the exact opposite. Many kids no longer attend neighborhood schools, so instead of walking or riding their bikes to school, they're taking a bus or car. Instead of just a few hours of cartoons on weekends, there are entire networks devoted to children’s programming and the Internet is available 24/7. That was just never an option for us. So today, when our kids go and “play,” that often means they're sitting in one place for hours, clicking, typing, texting away -- not moving a lick.
And for many folks, those wholesome family meals are, unfortunately, a thing of the past. See, a lot of our families today are living in communities without a single grocery store, so they have to buy their food at places like gas stations or corner stores, places with few, if any, healthy options.
And frankly, a lot of parents today are just plain tired. Folks are working longer hours to make ends meet and everyone is under more stress. And as much as we all hate to admit it, sometimes it’s just easier to park the kids in front of the TV, so that we can get a little time to pay the bills, do the laundry, just get a few hours of peace right? Just a little peace, that's all we want. (Laughter.)
Sometimes it’s just easier to pick up something from the drive-through, pop something in the microwave. And if we’re being honest with ourselves, we have to admit that even when we do cook, we don’t always make the healthiest choices.
And that’s really where this gets personal and emotional -- probably why some people think this is a very complicated issue. You see, for so many of us, food is more than just nourishment for our bodies. It’s how we knit our families and our communities together. It’s how we pass down traditions from generation to generation.
How many of us find ourselves looking forward to that fried chicken and mac and cheese, pound cake, after church on Sunday? (Laughter.) Some people come to church just for the fried chicken. (Laughter.) How many of us have those warm, wonderful memories of family and friends gathering in the kitchen? We still do that at the White House. It's a little, bitty kitchen -- big, old house, everybody sitting in the kitchen. No matter where -- you're sitting in the kitchen. I'm not cooking, but -- (laughter and applause) -- but we still like the kitchen. (Laughter.) Dirtying every pot, cooking everyone’s favorite dishes, talking, laughing, sharing stories late into the night. That's family.
Whether it’s Christmas supper, Passover Seder, Iftar dinner, so many of our most sacred holidays revolve around food. All those familiar smells and tastes, and the memories that go along with them -- all of that brings us joy and comfort. Times may be tough and money may be tight, but at least we can still serve up Uncle Joe’s ribs or Abuela’s Arroz con pollo -- huh? (Applause.) That’s how we show our families that we care about them. Right? No matter what culture we come from, no matter what faith we believe in, for so many of us, food is love. Food is sometimes all we have. And that is a beautiful thing and we don’t ever want to give that up -- right? And fortunately, we don’t have to. Fortunately, we don't have to. We can still show that love, we can still honor those traditions, and we can do it in a way that’s healthy for everyone, especially our kids. But we’re going to have to make some changes, some modifications to adapt these traditions to our way of life today.
And ultimately, that’s what "Let's Move" is really trying to do. We know that government doesn’t have all the answers; know that there’s no one-size-fits all program or policy that will solve this problem. Every family and every community is different. Each of us needs to make the changes that fit with our budgets, our beliefs, and our tastes.
And that’s really where all of you come in. That's why today was such an important part of our celebration. Because that is what our faith communities do best -- you inspire and empower people to make meaningful changes in their lives. Sometimes folks won't do it if it wasn’t said right here -- right? You serve as a beacon for those who are lost, a refuge for those who’ve been forgotten. You’re there for people during some of the most important moments of their lives, offering counsel on family matters, providing comfort in times of crisis, guiding folks on every mile of their journeys. That's why people come.
And our faith communities don’t tend only to folks’ spiritual health but to their emotional and their physical health as well. Think for a moment about the scripture that tells us that your bodies are temples given to you by God. That is a core teaching of so many of our faiths -- a teaching that calls us to honor and nourish the bodies we’ve been blessed with, and to help others do the same.
So it’s no accident that this church hosts classes to help folks lead healthier lives. It’s no accident that, long before we ever started "Let's Move," so many congregations were already sponsoring health ministries and fitness classes, hosting food pantries and summer nutrition programs for our kids.
So as part of "Let's Move," we wanted to work with you from the very beginning. We wanted to learn from our faith communities. And we wanted to do everything we could to support and highlight your magnificent efforts. And that’s why we started a special program called Let’s Move Faith and Communities to challenge more of our organizations and congregations to take up this cause.
And just like everywhere else, the response to this initiative has been overwhelming. All kinds of faith communities have been stepping up. Muslim community leaders are hosting sports tournaments to encourage young people to get active. The Jewish Community Centers Association is working with JCCs around the country to grow gardens, and to get fresh food into underserved areas, and they're create early child wellness programs.
Groups like the National Council of Churches have joined with an organization called Ample Harvest to help gardeners donate fresh produce to 4,700 of their local food pantries. (Applause.) The National Baptist Convention is aiming to have health ambassadors at all of their nearly 10,000 churches by September. (Applause.) And some of their churches have already created “no fry” zones in their congregations. (Applause.) Now, it's been a little tough. (Laughter.) But with just a little effort, the congregations have accepted this. They're also and they’re hosting “Taste Test Sundays” where people can sample healthy food.
Altogether, the members of Let’s Move Faith and Communities have sponsored more than 1,000 summer nutrition sites providing millions of healthy meals for children in need. And these congregations and communities have walked more than 2.8 million miles. That's very impressive. (Applause.) Very impressive.
And let’s not forget that all of this represents the efforts of just a tiny fraction of our faith and community organizations. Just a tiny fraction. That's what they've done in just a short period of time.
So just imagine what we could achieve if every single organization and every single congregation in America got involved in this way. Just imagine. Imagine how many children we could feed. Imagine how many miles we'd walk. Imagine how many lives would be transformed.
So today, I have just one simple request for congregations and organizations across America, and that is: Join us. Join us. Be a part of this effort. Join us. If you’re in a leadership role, make wellness a priority both with words and with deeds. Talk about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity with your members. Get organized. Get organized by creating a wellness council or a ministry, appointing a health ambassador to lead the charge.
There are so many natural leaders in our congregations who are just waiting to be tapped. Maybe there’s a gardener who’s been growing food in her backyard who wants to help the church out. Or maybe there’s a nurse or a dietitian, a community health worker, who’s eager to share their expertise. Maybe there's somebody who's just a great cook -- right -- and knows how to make some good, healthy snacks that taste good, too, right?
And once you’ve gotten organized, I want you to take action. Don’t hold back. On this one, the sky should be the limit. You can host cooking classes or a farmers market. I just tried Zumba, which is like -- that was pretty good. (Applause.) See! We've got a lot of Zumbas. We're Zumbaing after church -- man, look out. (Laughter.)
You can take your youth group on a weekend hike, or better yet, a weekly jog. They will love the time spent with an adult. You can try substituting fresh fruit and vegetables for those donuts and coffee cake after service -- right?
And anyone who is interested for additional ideas, tools, resources, you can go directly to the website at Letsmove.gov. There are so many fun things, ways people are doing -- there are so many creative activities happening in congregations and in communities across the country. And I hope you all will be inspired to do even more.
And whatever you do, I want to know about it. Tell me about it. Whatever you're doing out in your congregations, I want you to email me, I want you to write me. Even better, I want you to send me a video of what you’re doing. Because today, I'm announcing -- listen up -- that "Let's Move" is starting a video contest -- and we’re asking faith and community organizations to show us the best examples of the healthy changes that you’re making. And you know what, the winners -- you know what we're going to do? We're going to invite them to the White House this summer. (Applause.) Come on to the White House! Our top entrees. Because I want to meet you all in person; I want to hear about all that you’re doing. So, hopefully that's a little incentive. Maybe a little fun -- the funnier, the better. You've seen me -- I love fun. (Laughter.)
So I really do hope that all of you, here and congregations and organizations across this country, will embrace these efforts on behalf of our children. Because we all know that we are our children’s first and best role models. No matter what they see or hear, we're it. And if we embrace this work, our kids will embrace it. If we’re excited about it, then they will be excited about it, too.
It won’t be easy. But our faith communities have never shrunk from a challenge right? From slavery to civil rights, from poverty to human rights, so many of our congregations have been a force for justice and equality. (Applause.) Right? So many have been the righteous voice for the least among us, working every day, in ways large and small, to repair our world. And today, once again, we need all of you to help lead the way on this important issue. We need your vision. We need your moral passion. As it says in this church’s vision statement, it says, “A vision is a clear mental picture of a preferable future. It sees the future through the eyes of faith.”
We all know the future we want for our kids. We all know that, right? No matter who those kids are, we know what we want for our kids. We want them, every single one of them -- every single one of them -- to be healthy and whole. We want them to have opportunities that we never dreamed of. We want them to have families of their own that love them. We want them to have communities that support and sustain them. And we want them to have the strength and the energy and the stamina to live their lives to the fullest -- and to raise their own children to do the same. That's how we build community. That's how we do it.
Again, while it won’t be easy to make that vision a reality, I have faith that together, we will get where we need to go. I mean, it’s the same faith that so many of you share -- “the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” (Applause.) And with that faith, and with that hope, let us join together -- every single one of us -- and work together in this campaign for our children’s lives.
Let’s finish what we started -- this wonderful journey -- and give our kids everything they need for the bright, healthy futures they all deserve.
I look forward to working with you all in the months and years to come. Thank you all and God bless. (Applause.)
Fort Worth, Texas: In this photo,First Lady Michelle Obama and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass arrive through the back entrance of an Olive Garden restaurant on Thursday evening for dinner with eight guests. It was the third event of the first day of the Let's Move! birthday tour, which included stops in Iowa and Arkansas. Mrs. Obama's official White House lensman and an aide are at right. She arrived shortly after 6:00 PM after flying in to Love Field in Dallas. CLICK HERE for a full post about the dinner. Above, Mrs. Obama's very simple place setting included a name card and a three-course menu with selections from Olive Garden's "healthy fare" offerings. The menu included calorie counts for the dishes.
Mrs. Obama dined on the Garden Fresh Salad with low-fat dressing (100 calories); Minestrone Soup (100 calories), Venetian Apricot Chicken, with grilled breasts in an apricot citrus sauce, served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes (400 calories); and Limoncello Mousse with Vanilla Cookie Crust for dessert (230 calories). Mrs. Obama had the same dish when she joined Olive Garden parent company Darden Restaurants, Inc., to announce their major commitment to the Let's Move! campaign. Kass had he same starters as his boss, and ordered the Capellini Pomodoro, made with Roma tomatoes, fresh basil extra-virgin olive oil for his entree (480 calories) and the Strawberry Moussewith White Chocolate Cream Cake (210 calories). Bottles of Pellegrino and Evian were on the table; Mrs. Obama had still water.
The First Lady's guests, all parents, were selected by the White House because they are working on child health initiatives in their communities. They included Andrea Breedlove; Cynthia Foster; Jenny Hogan; Cassandra Leach; Richard and Carrie Martinez; and Jason and Andrea Roberts.
Located in a sprawling shopping mall off the 35 highway, the Olive Garden Mrs. Obama visited was at 9333 Rain Lily Trail.
An ice cream and fudge stop during private tour through Western states; Secret Service in South Dakota days ahead of the trip...
