Corona-Norco’s “100 Mile Club” wins $100,000 innovation grant

 WASHINGTON, D.C., June 13, 2012 – ChildObesity180 announced Corona-Norco’s 100 Mile Club is one of two national school programs to win $100,000 to further advance health and wellness programming within their school districts.

The competition was designed to identify and reward the most creative, impactful, and scalable school-based programs and technologies to promote children’s physical activity.

With the encouragement of First Lady Michelle Obama via a video message, the Active Schools Acceleration Project (ASAP), a ChildObesity180 initiative, launched the competition in February 2012 in a commitment with the Partnership for a Healthier America.

The national winners were selected from a pool of nine regional “School Programs” category winners, which will receive $25,000 grants. A panel of experts representing various fields judged the entries.

Among the many schools nationwide employing running and walking programs, ChildObesity180 calls the 100 Mile Club “a true pioneer.” Inspired by the 1992 Summer Olympics, special education teacher Kara Lubin had a dream that kids would be motivated to stay fit by the simple goal of “winning the gold medal.” These medals, based on dedication and effort – not speed and fitness – could reward students of all abilities, including Lubin’s special education students.

Lubin took action and founded the 100 Mile Club in 1993. Elementary school students are presented with a straightforward challenge of running miles over the course of the school year. Students log miles before school, after school, during recess, and at sanctioned community events. Milestones are rewarded with simple tokens – wristbands, pencils, and medals. A year-end assembly celebrates and recognizes students who have achieved 100 miles, and those still with miles to go. The program is highly scalable and with Lubin’s help, is now in place in more than 115 schools across eight U.S. states, reaching more than 30,000 students.

The other national $100,000 winner is Red Hawk Elementary’s “Red Hawk Movement” in Erie, Colorado.

Working closely with leading researchers and expert staff at Tufts University and ChildObesity180, the national winners will participate in pilot studies to expand their programs and technologies to schools of different types, sizes, and geographies across the country.

To learn more about the 100 Mile Club, please visit 100MileClub.com