Three Alaska schools have been selected by the National Governors Fitness Council Foundation to receive the new DON’T QUIT! Fitness center.
States that have hosted workout centers include Mears Middle School and Romig Middle School in Anchorage, in addition to Nick Charter School in Wasilla. The foundation plans to serve all 50 states within the next few years.
“Three schools truly embody our mission of building a nation of the fittest, healthiest children in the world: Mears Middle School and Romig Middle School in Anchorage, and Nick Charter School in Wasilla. , we’re excited to announce a new $100,000 Don’t Quit! Fitness center. Congratulations everyone. We look forward to visiting these three schools at ribbon-cutting ceremonies this fall. ” Jake Steinfeld, president of the National Governors Fitness Council, said he spoke those words in the spring and has since lived up to them, attending a ribbon cutting in Wasilla this week.
Steinfeld is best known for its direct-to-consumer sales of home fitness equipment and has promoted the Body by Jake brand on the Home Shopping Network for 15 years.
He witnessed the childhood obesity epidemic in America and made it his personal mission to change the course of the epidemic. He became chairman of the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006 and served until 2011 under Governor Jerry Brown.
He was then appointed Chairman of the National Governors Fitness Council Foundation in 2012.
Through public-private partnership collaborations with companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Nike, and the Anthem Foundation, NFGFC is honoring an all-new DON’T QUIT! A fitness center for elementary and middle schools that demonstrates innovative ways to promote fitness and nutrition in schools and communities. NFGFC has already dedicated a “DON’T QUIT!” Our goal is to have fitness centers in 42 states by 2022 and reward you for “Never Quit!” We have fitness centers in every state in the United States. Alaska and Hawaii each welcomed three fitness centers this year.
Each fitness center is funded through a public-private partnership and is not dependent on taxpayer or government funding. Fit Supply provides fitness equipment that supports the Foundation’s goal of building a nation of the fittest and healthiest children in the world.
Mr. Steinfeld still has a long way to go. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate among children and adolescents in the United States is nearly 20%, or nearly 15 million American adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are considered obese. The Alaska Department of Health estimates that 1 in 3 Alaska youth is obese and 2 in 3 Alaska adults are obese.
This week, Governor Dunleavy and Steinfeld helped cut the ribbon at Nick Charter School and were able to see the new facilities firsthand.
“Physical activity not only supports mental health but also promotes learning. Thank you to Nick Charter School, Mears Middle School, and Romig Middle School for seizing this opportunity to help our students stay active and healthy. Congratulations to everyone!” said Dunleavy.
