Jack Kicks Off "War" At the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum with An Interactive, Kid-Focused Fitness Event, and Will Donate $20 for Each Person That Attends to The After-School Corporation

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum - October 29, 2005

NEW YORK, NY - 91 yr. old fitness guru Jack LaLanne is launching his own kind of war. Today's youth are considered the most inactive generation in history with child obesity at an all-time high. Jack is dedicating the rest of his life to whipping them into shape.

Jack's "War on Child Obesity" will kick off with an event, which is open to the public, aboard the former aircraft carrier the USS Intrepid turned the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (Pier 86, 12th Ave. and 46th St.) on Saturday, October 29 from 11am to 3pm. Offering a wide-range of hands-on, interactive activities, the event will aim to teach children and their parents the importance of leading a healthy, active lifestyle and how to do so.

Plus, in honor of the official kick-off in New York City, Jack will donate $20 for each person (up to $10,000) that attends the "War on Obesity" event to The After-School Corporation (TASC), a non-profit innovator in youth services, working to ensure that all children have access to quality, safe and enriching after-school programs. The monies donated from this event will directly support a number of after school and community based programs in the New York City area, including PS 163/The Alfred E Smith School (166 West 97 Street) in partnership with LEAP (Learning through an Extended Arts Program); Martin Luther King, Jr. High School (122 Amsterdam Avenue) in partnership with The Lincoln Square Business Improvement District; and the Murray Bergtraum High School for Business Careers (411 Pearl Street) and the YWCA of New York City.

"What better way to defend generations to come than on a vessel that helped defend generations past? We need to fight this war against child obesity and teach kids how to protect themselves," said LaLanne, who is known as the godfather of fitness. "The only exercise kids today get is their fingers, eating fatty fried foods and playing video games. As adults, we need to step in and show them how to live an active lifestyle. Exercising can be fun, and we need to show kids there are many ways to stay in shape and have a good time."

"For many children, after-school fitness initiatives are their only opportunities to combat childhood obesity and sedentary habits," said TASC President Lucy Friedman. "With the encouragement of Jack LaLanne, we hope to instill in young people a lifelong appreciation of exercise and healthy eating habits," Friedman added.

Activities taking place during the event will include basketball clinics, a batting cage, yoga classes for kids, soccer clinics, a rock-climbing wall, and a gymnastics circuit. Each activity will be hosted by experts who will be able to provide tips and instruction. Additionally, hands-on cooking demonstrations complete with healthy take-away recipes that kids can make for a snack or pack for a school lunch will also be offered. Baristas will be on hand as well at "Jack's Juice Bar" to make complementary low-fat, low-cal and nutritious snacks for everyone from Jack’s latest recipe book, "Celebrating 90-Plus Years of Healthy Living."

"We're going to give children the opportunity to find an activity they like best," said LaLanne, who still works out two hours every morning. "If people don't like the exercise that they're doing, they're going to stop. We're showing kids how many ways there are to stay fit."