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"A party with a purpose"- J Anthony Brown (national radio personality, Tom Joyner Morning Show)

Thousands filled Cleveland's Time Warner Amphitheater on Saturday afternoon, June 16th, to take in some great live music and entertainment and also take up a vow to 'give up the pounds, not the fight.' Led by Dr. Ian Smith (author of the NY Times #1 bestseller "Extreme Fat Smash Diet," and fitness expert on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club), The 50 Million Pound Challenge continued its successful tour across America with an event to launch the national health campaign in Cleveland and kick off a commitment by area residents to lose weight and get fit. Joining Dr. Ian were all-star supporters including Grammy-nominated R&B stars Joe and Angie Stone, national radio personality J. Anthony Brown (Tom Joyner Show), Ohio State Representative Sandra Williams (D-Cleveland), Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards, legendary rapper Doug E. Fresh and renowned DJ Biz Markie. Thousands turned out for a day of free performances, health screenings, and a chance to sign-up for The Challenge and pledge to lose weight, get fit and help turn back the deadly toll of weight-related diseases.

Since it's launch just over two months ago, more than 105,000 participants have signed up across the country, and following the Cleveland event, the campaign topped 200,000 total pounds lost. The Challenge Tour continues to Houston on Saturday, June 30th. The historic campaign & commitment by the African-American community is sponsored by State Farm.

Key highlights from Cleveland include:

• Dr. Ian Smith welcomed the crowd, saying, "This is an historic opportunity to join hands as a community, take control of our health, and saves lives. While we're learning about health today, we want you to have fun. The groundswell of support keeps growing. More than 100,000 people have joined the campaign, losing almost 200,000 pounds. And we're just getting started. What began as a simple challenge has become a remarkable commitment across the entire community."
• Ohio State Representative Sandra Williams told the crowd "Cleveland is a city of firsts—first in Rock ‘n Roll, first electric traffic signal, first with an African-American mayor. One thing we’re not so proud of is being in the Top 25 of America’s Most Overweight cities. We're taking on State Farm and Dr. Ian's Challenge. Let’s make Cleveland the number one city in most pounds lost!"
• R&B Star Joe performed in front of thousands, and had some inspirational words: "Life can be filled with such beauty and grace, but only if you're around to enjoy it. Too many people in our community are having their lives cut short because they aren't giving their health the same respect we demand from each other. There's so much in life worth fighting and living for. We have the power—let's come together and use it!"
• Grammy-nominated singer Angie Stone sang her hits to an enthusiastic crowd and said, "Too many people are dying when there's so much living to do. We need to take better care of our health and stop disrespecting our bodies. We should love and respect ourselves as much as we do others.”
• Cleveland Browns star Braylon Edwards encouraged people to "Just do a little at a time. Start off slow. Over time you'll fall in love with what you've become and it will be second nature to eat right and exercise often."