CUPHD Honors “Kick Butts Day” with a Focus on Family Fun & Wellness
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 17, 2009
Contact
Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-2916
Lori A. Holmes, Public Relations
(217) 531-2927
CUPHD Honors “Kick Butts Day” with a Focus on Family Fun & Wellness
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Provides FREE Wellness Fair to Local Families
Champaign, IL – On Saturday, March 28, 2009, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will be providing a FREE Wellness Fair in honor of National “Kick Butts Day”. This event will occur from 10:00am -2:00pm at 201 West Kenyon Road. This event is FREE, and local families with children of all ages are encouraged to attend. One lucky family will go home with a brand new Nintendo Wii! Those interested in additional information should call 217-531-2915.
The CUPHD “Kick Butts Day” Wellness Fair will include a variety of family fun activities designed to help kids understand the importance of living tobacco-free. Fair activities will include a Dance Dance Revolution Contest, Trivia Games, Local Kids Poster Display, Free CUPHD Program Materials, Free Give-Aways, a Door Prize Drawing for a Wii, and MUCH More! Fair attendees that would like to live tobacco-free, and may be struggling, will have access to a variety of CUPHD programs designed to meet their individual needs.
“The decision to live tobacco-free is very important, but not always easy”, said Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator for the Division of Wellness & Health Promotion at CUPHD. “Today’s youth face a myriad of tobacco related issues like marketing campaigns that glamorize smoking, peer pressure, potential Nicotine addiction, and exposure to second hand smoke. Everyday about 3,500 youth under the age of 18 try smoking for the first time, and another 1,000 more become new regular, daily smokers. CUPHD hopes that the “Kick Butts Day” Wellness Fair makes the decision to live tobacco-free easier for everyone.”
“Kick Butts Day” is a national movement that “empowers youth to stand out, speak up and seize control from Big Tobacco with fun, educational activities and events.” “Kick Butts Day” youth movements are not only designing messages that work, but also spreading those messages far and wide through advocacy events, activism, viral marketing and word of mouth.
Almost 90% of adults who have ever been regular smokers began smoking by the time they were 18. More than 6 million children under the age of 18 alive today will eventually die from smoke-related disease. On average, 20% of high school students are current smokers. Among these students over 16% are Hispanics and over 11% are African-American.
For more information on smoking cessation or any other CUPHD program, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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