With the Summer Olympics on everyone’s mind, I thought I would share a great event that MSI’s PR team recently organized and ran on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). Each year, BGCA and two of its partners – The Coca-Cola Company and WellPoint Foundation – holds the Triple Play Summer Games event, which focuses on healthy, active living. This year they recruited four former Olympic athletes to help get club members excited about being active: Evander Holyfield, Dominique Dawes, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Gail Devers.
Held in Piedmont Park in downtown Atlanta, the event included five activity stations: balance beams and mats for gymnastics, pop-a-shots for basketball, mats for long jump and triple jump, a track and field relay race with hurdles, and punching bags at boxing. At each station, the Olympic athletes shared their stories and taught Club members the proper techniques for excelling at each sport.
Throughout the two-hour event, the kids rotated between each station, practicing their skills before receiving a participation wristband and moving on to the next. Although the kids ranged from six to sixteen, everyone had a blast interacting with the athletes and learning new sports! There was some great dancing and a fun cool-down after everyone had been to each station. The kids even received well-deserved gold medals for participating!
The best part about the event was that we spent time outside, being active. This young generation had grown up in a technological world with flat screen TVs, iPods, computers, and game consoles. I sometimes think they, and older generations as well, forget about the importance of physical activity and spending time outside of a dimly lit basement. This summer, as we celebrate athleticism and perseverance with the 2012 Summer Olympics, it’s time to embrace the physical world and challenge ourselves to be more than sad-sack couch potatoes.
As always, working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America was a positive, rewarding experience for the MSI PR team and we’re so glad that we had the opportunity to be a part of the Triple Play Summer Games!