News Releases - Media Alerts

Media Advisory
January 24, 2007

Historic Overtown Public Health Empowerment (H.O.P.E.) Collaborative Teams with the NFL to sponsor the Historic Overtown 2.5K Run/Walk and the Overtown Diet Cook Off

WHO:
The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the UM Miller School of Medicine, the FIU Stempel School of Public Health, the Booker T. Washington Sr. High School family, and community volunteers have teamed up with the National Football League and the Florida Department of Agriculture to promote healthy nutrition and exercise through the Historic Overtown 2.5K Run/Walk and the Overtown Diet Cook Off, as a part of the Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health.

WHAT:
Eight teams consisting of students, teachers and alumni from the Booker T. Washington Sr. High School, in collaboration with local chefs and nutritionists will compete in the Overtown Diet Cook Off featuring the Twister Café. A variety of student contests will feature student art, essays, and business plans for the Overtown Diet. A run/walk featuring historic Overtown will launch the festivities.

HOW:
The teams will be challenged to take authentic, favorite recipes from the community and add a healthy twist to them. The dishes will be judged on authenticity, taste, presentation, and nutritional improvement.

WHEN:
January 27, 2007
Run/Walk starts at 8 a.m.
Family Fest from 9 a.m. to 12 noon

WHERE:
Booker T. Washington Sr. High School Family Fest
1200 NW 6th Avenue
Miami, Florida

WHY:
Each year the NFL identifies leading community organizations to team with as part of the Super Bowl multicultural outreach initiative. These Super Bowl programs focus on the education, advancement and leadership of both racial and gender minorities in the host city. One of the primarily community focuses for the 2006 season is to help promote the importance of living healthier lifestyles. The partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services allows the NFL to support existing initiatives that directly respond to the immediate awareness needs of the residents of South Florida.

For more information, go to www.kickofftobetterhealth.com.

Contact:
Dr. David Brown
University of Miami School of Medicine
DBrown@med.miami.edu

Yolanda Roundtree
Florida Department of Agriculture
roundty@doacs.state.fl.us

January 19, 2007

Three More South Florida Events Remaining To Promote Health And Nutrition As Part Of ‘Super Bowl Xli Kickoff To Better Health’

MIAMI -- The “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” initiative continues to reach South Florida residents with information about good nutrition and healthy lifestyles with three more community events in the coming weeks.

“Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” is a partnership between the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the NFL and a coalition of South Florida organizations. Each year the NFL identifies leading community organizations to team with as part of the Super Bowl Community Impact Program. “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” encourages residents of South Florida to think about their health, nutrition and exercise habits and provides them with opportunities to participate in a variety of events and activities that will test their health indicators, teach families new and easy ways to stay healthy, and inspire them to kick off to better health.

“This initiative is the latest in our Department’s ongoing campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle,” Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson said. “The excitement generated by South Florida’s hosting of the Super Bowl is a great opportunity to help spread this message to segments of the population that are disproportionately affected by obesity and related health problems.”

The “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” initiative has already hosted four community projects in South Florida that kicked off in November at New Birth Baptist Cathedral of Faith International during Dr. Bobby Jones’ Industry retreat.

The events were:
-- Mission to Health
-- The Historic Overtown Public Health Empowerment (HOPE) Collaborative
-- Florida Introduces Physical Activity and Nutrition to Youth, Inc. (FLIPANY)
-- Love Yourself Take Care of Yourself.

“These events help bring the community together to work toward a happier, healthier lifestyle through nutrition and fitness. Bronson said. “We are looking forward to even more community participation as this important initiative continues.”

The “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” initiative continues with the following events:

January 20 -- The FLIPANY 5K Fun Run will take place in Hollywood beginning at 8 a.m. with registration at 6:30 a.m. The race will begin at North Beach Park and head south on the Boardwalk. The turnaround is located at the Band Shell on Johnson Street. The cost is $25.

January 27 --The Historic Overtown 2.5K Run/Walk and the Overtown Diet Cook-Off starts with the run/walk at 8 a.m. Other activities will continue from 9 a.m. through noon at Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Overtown. The event is open to the public and the first 500 guests will receive “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” T-shirts. The first 500 parents to meet with a guidance counselor will also receive a free bag of groceries. The day will also feature nutrition education, health screenings, health insurance assistance, free tax preparation, Booker T. Washington High School’s Jazz and Marching Bands, and much more.

February 2 -- The 2007 Pep Rally for Life and Tailgate is provided by the Love Yourself Take Care of Yourself health initiative and its South Florida alliance of community partners. The event will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Joseph Caleb Center, 5400 N.W. 22nd Avenue, Miami, and will offer free health screenings and live radio remotes featuring 103.5 The Beat’s Steve Harvey Morning Show, 1490 WMBM’s Stellar Award winning Morning Glory Show, and News Talk 1080’s morning show with James T.

In addition to receiving important health and nutrition information, participants at these community events also have the opportunity to sign up to win a pair of Super Bowl tickets. Interested residents can also register online at www.KickoffToBetterHealth.com.

For more information about the “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” initiative, contact Yolanda Roundtree of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at (850) 413-7961, or Dionne Anderson of the Event Concierge Group at (305) 693-1359.

As part of its ongoing “Fresh from Florida” marketing program, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is involved in public awareness campaigns that encourage reasonable and achievable lifestyle changes including increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, with the eventual goal of consuming at least five servings a day. The campaigns also encourage increased physical activity, especially among those with sedentary lifestyles. For more information on the “Fresh from Florida” program visit www.Florida-Agriculture.com.

For more information:
Yolanda Roundtree
(850) 413-7961
roundty@doacs.state.fl.us

Press Release
November 20, 2006

NFL And Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services Team To Promote Healthier Living Through “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff To Better Health” Campaign Leading Up To Super Bowl Week

South Florida community events to provide health screenings, information, counseling and a chance to win Super Bowl XLI tickets

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has teamed up with the NFL and a coalition of South Florida organizations to promote healthy nutrition and exercise through the “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” initiative, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced today.

“This initiative is the latest in our Department’s ongoing campaign to raise public awareness about the importance of proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle,” Bronson said. “The excitement generated by South Florida’s hosting of the Super Bowl is a great opportunity to help spread this message to segments of the population that are disproportionately affected by obesity and related health problems.”

Each year the NFL identifies leading community organizations to team with as part of the Super Bowl multicultural outreach initiative. These Super Bowl programs focus on the education, advancement and leadership of both racial and gender minorities in the host city.

The “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” initiative programs are projected to impact the lives of more than 20,000 people in South Florida during its three-month healthy lifestyle campaign.

“One of our primary community focuses for the 2006 season is to help promote the importance of living healthier lifestyles to our fans,” said NFL Director of Community Ventures Beth Colleton. “Our partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services allows the NFL to support existing initiatives that directly respond to the immediate health awareness needs of the residents of South Florida.”

The first public event of the “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” project offers an opportunity to meet our coalition of health partners and be among the first to enter to win Super Bowl XLI tickets on November 26, in conjunction with Bishop Victor T. Curry, AM 1490 and Dr. Bobby Jones’ International Gospel Retreat Kickoff at New Birth Baptist Church Cathedral of Faith International in Miami. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a live radio remote.

The “Super Bowl XLI Kickoff to Better Health” initiative will include three city-wide projects that provide South Florida residents with opportunities to participate in a variety of events and activities that will test their health indicators, teach families new and easy ways to stay healthy, and inspire them to kick off a new healthy lifestyle that includes healthy foods and physical activity.

The first project, “Mission to Health,” starts this month and continues through the end of January at African Americans and Caribbean descent churches in Miami-Dade County. The Florida Heart Research Institute in conjunction with the Miami-Dade County Health Department will screen for blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol and glucose to identify those at risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. Each participant will be counseled based upon individual risk for chronic disease to urge healthy lifestyle changes. The collaborative partnership, which includes medical follow-up, will be provided by registered nurses, dietitians and health educators.

The second project, “Overtown Program,” will promote knowledge about healthy nutritional practices and connects nutritionists and physicians from the University of Miami’s Department of Family Medicine with students and teachers at Booker T. Washington High School. A web site, book, and other activities will promote healthy lifestyles for high school youth. The “Overtown Diet” will be developed in conjunction with area schools, restaurants and churches.

The third project, “Love Yourself, Take Care of Yourself,” begins in November and continues through the end of January. The Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) South Florida Alliance of Community Partners will host community-wide activities to promote health awareness activities in the African American and Caribbean communities in South Florida. These health and wellness activities will culminate with celebrity workout demonstrations, health screenings, and a healthy food tasting.

In addition to receiving important health and nutrition information, participants at these community events will also have the opportunity to sign up to win a pair of Super Bowl tickets. Interested residents can also register online at www.KickoffToBetterHealth.com.

In addition to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Super Bowl XLI Health Care Coalition is composed of several community organizations and institutions including the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Jackson Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency, Florida International University Stempel School of Public Health, Jefferson Reaves Sr. Health Center (JRSHC), Booker T. Washington (BTW) High School, Miami-Dade County Health Department, Consortium for a Healthier Miami-Dade, Florida Heart Research Institute, Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center, University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Economic Opportunity Family Health Center, Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, Health Foundation of South Florida, Dade Community Foundation, Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Tissue Bank, University of Miami School of Medicine Project Outreach, Life Alliance Donor Recovery, Donate Life, Baptist Health System, South Dade Community Health Center, and 100 Black Men of South Florida.