Minister Ambrose announces winning submissions for The Play Exchange's ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge

Government of Canada's Play Exchange and Canadian Tire Corporation invest in local ideas from across Canada to help get children and youth healthier and more active

OTTAWA, Dec. 19, 2014 /CNW/ - After challenging Canadians to help promote active and healthy living in schools across Canada through The Play Exchange's ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge, the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Health Minister, today revealed the 13 winning ideas, one in each province and territory.

The winners include:

• FitKid Coach (Surrey, British Columbia)
• The Fit Kit: Fitness and Fun for Our Littlest Ones (Edmonton, Alberta)
• File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council (FHQTC) Physical Activity and Wellness (PAW) Initiative (Indian Head, Saskatchewan)
• Standing Up For A Challenge (Brandon, Manitoba)
• DrumFIT® Kit + Kick-Off Day (Wellesley, Ontario)
• Je Bouge (I move) (Sherbrooke, Quebec)
• Fun and Fit 6 Week Challenge (St. Andrews, New Brunswick)
• MAP! (Multisport After-School Program) (Wolfville, Nova Scotia)
• Multizone: Infusing play, active learning and physical activity into health education (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)
• Bishops College "Core" Fitness Program (St. John's, Newfoundland)
• Elijah Smith Eagles Running Club (Whitehorse, Yukon)
• Range Lake North: Kanga Break (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)
• School Youth on the Move (Kugluktuk, Nunavut)

Winners were selected by a panel of representatives from Active for Life, the Canadian Public Health Association, and the Canadian Pediatric Society.

The Play Exchange's ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge is a special investment for the best idea in each province and territory that encourages children to achieve at least one hour of physical activity every school day. Each winning submission, will receive $3000 to help implement their healthy living idea in local schools.

ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge submissions were also eligible as part of The Play Exchange, which was open to all Canadians.

The Play Exchange top six finalists were announced in September, and will be featured on a national television program in January 2015. Canadians will then have a chance to vote for the grand prize winner.

The Play Exchange is a partnership between the Public Health Agency of Canada, Canadian Tire Corporation, LIFT Philanthropy Partners and with support from CBC.

Quick Facts

• The Play Exchange is a national challenge that was launched in February 2014 to find and support creative ideas to get Canadians living healthier lifestyles.  
• The ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge is a component of The Play Exchange exclusively for submissions with the goal of engaging schools to get children healthier and more active during the school day.
• Only four percent of Canadian children are getting the recommended amount of daily physical activity.
• A third of all Canadian children and youth are already overweight or obese.
• The economic costs of obesity are estimated at $4.6 billion in 2008, based on costs associated with the eight chronic diseases most consistently linked to obesity.
• For more information on the ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge winners and for updates on The Play Exchange finalists, visit The Play Exchange website.

Quotes

"It is very encouraging to see students excited and engaged in finding innovative ways to become healthier and more active. With the help of our partners, and schools from across the country, The Play Exchange's ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge is well on its way to helping build a healthier, higher quality of life for all Canadians. I congratulate the winners and look forward to seeing these innovative ideas take shape and be incorporated into the lives of children and youth at school."
The Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Health

"Canadian Tire and ACTIVE AT SCHOOL congratulate the 13 ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge winners. We all have a role to play in supporting healthy families and by sharing ideas and working together, we can help the next generation of children lead healthier lives. We are thrilled to partner with the Public Health Agency of Canada to empower communities to take the lead in reversing the trend of inactivity while providing them with the resources to turn their ideas into reality. We believe that by working together, we can all play for Canada."
Michael Medline
President, Canadian Tire Corporation

"The Play Exchange and ACTIVE AT SCHOOL are both an excellent fit with LIFT's vision of helping Canadians become healthier and more productive. Physical activity, education and healthy habits in childhood lead to healthy, productive adults. We commend the Public Health Agency and Canadian Tire for supporting these excellent ideas from schools across the country and are thankful for the opportunity to partner with them." 
Bruce Dewar
CEO, LIFT Philanthropy Partners

Related Products

Fact Sheet – ACTIVE AT SCHOOL Challenge Winners 
Finalist Play Exchange News Release

Associated Links

Information on the winners in each province and territory

Information about ACTIVE AT SCHOOL  

SOURCE: Public Health Agency of Canada

Michael Bolkenius, Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Federal Minister of Health, [phone]; Media Relations, Public Health Agency of Canada, [phone]

Related Links

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca