November 3, 2011 - The community of Assiniboia was selected through a random draw as the Early Bird winner in the in motion Community Pledge Challenge. The Early Bird Prize is $1,000 to assist Assiniboia to promote community participation to support their community pledge challenge entry. Seventeen registered Saskatchewan communities were eligible for the draw. Every individual pledge from the registered communities puts them one step closer to winning the prize of $10,000 for a community initiative or project that gets kids moving more.
According to Margaret Schuweiler, member of the Assiniboia in motion committee, the $1,000 will be used towards production and promotion of a video that will focus on their community project, the Assiniboia Regional Park. Residents agree that the park needs updated equipment that will increase the physical activity of everyone in the community, especially children and youth. "We'd love to be able to incorporate walking trails, fitness courts, and places for kids to be able to just play outdoors and enjoy nature," remarked Schuweiler. "We know that our children and youth need a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day, and by working together with our families, schools, and community, we can strive to make it happen."
Saskatchewan communities can still register for the in motion Community Pledge Challenge. Anyone can register a community, but only a mayor or chief can sign the official registration form. Once registered; it's time to collect pledges that make physical activity the easy choice for kids – simple things like walking kids to school or being an active role model. A panel of judges will choose the top five finalist communities based on the strength and creativity of their entries and the number of pledges they collect before December 30, 2011. The winning community will be chosen through an on-line public vote. An award of $500 toward an active vacation experience will also be given away to one lucky pledger.
The in motion Community Pledge Challenge is designed to get communities working together to make a positive difference and make physical activity the easy choice for our kids. "We know that physically inactive kids will face long-term healthy risks. Through this challenge, we're giving families the opportunity to pledge to take action by rallying their community to get registered for a chance to win a significant amount of prize money that will help spark that initiative or project that gets kids moving more," said Cathie Kryzanowski, General Manager of Saskatchewan in motion. The challenge has resulted in more than 700 pledges so far.
For more information, visit http://www.saskatchewaninmotion.ca
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Contact:
Christine Niemczyk
Saskatchewan in motion
Phone: 306-780-9472