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50 Million Pound Challenge Teams Up with Prince George’s Classic to bring Fans Football, Fitness & Fun
50 Million Pound Challenge Teams Up with Prince George’s Classic to bring Fans Football, Fitness & Fun
National health initiative joins county health officials to host day of free activities at Bowie State;
Fans get chance to score their own fitness goals, have fun with 5K walk, health fair, tunes and Challenge Teams
Who: Dr. Ian Smith, Challenge founder, physician, author and VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club diet expert; hip hop
DJ legend Biz Markie; and Prince George’s County Health Officer Dr. Donald Shell.
What: The 50 Million Pound Challenge – the free national campaign rallying people to “give up the pounds, not the fight” – is helping kick off the 5th Annual Prince George’s Classic football game between Bowie State University and Lincoln University. , The Challenge has already inspired 670,000 people to take control of their health and take off more than 2.7 million pounds to fight the epidemic of excess weight taking so many U.S. lives.
At the PG Classic, Dr. Ian will encourage 5K walk participants and football fans to score their own fitness goals by joining The Challenge at 50millionpounds.com. Attendees can also get free health screenings, talk to experts at a health & wellness fair set up by county officials, and hip hop to better health to tunes by DJ Biz Markie. For more on the event go to princegeorgesclassic.com.
When: Saturday, October 4, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
8 a.m. Walk registration starts, Holmes Plaza (in front of Holmes Hall)
8:50-10 a.m. Music – DJ Biz Markie spins tunes
9 a.m. 5K Challenge Walk begins
10-2 p.m. Health Fair, free health screenings and experts, Courtyard
10:45 a.m. Dr. Ian speaks at end of walk; announces walk contest winners and prizes
11:45 -1:30 p.m. Music – DJ Biz Markie
Noon -12:45 p.m. Dr. Ian book signing/meets game attendees, Holmes Plaza
1-4 p.m. Football game: Bowie State Bulldogs vs. Lincoln Lions, Bulldog Stadium
2:45 p.m. Half time – Battle of the Bands, Bowie State vs. Lincoln marching bands
Where: Bowie State University, Campus Drive, Bowie, Maryland 20715
Directions: On Highway 197 (exit off I-495 or US-50), turn on Jericho Park Rd, into Bowie State U.
Show Your Spirit – Join The Challenge Team of your choice: A special teams competition has been set up specifically for this event. Show your support by joining either the BSU Alumni Bulldogs or LU Alumni Lions. The team with the most members will win a $1000 donation to their school’s alumni association. There is also a Prince Georges Classic Team. Once registered, participants can start or join as many teams as they’d like.
Background: Fighting the Epidemic of Excess Weight: Launched April 2007, The Challenge is one of the most far-reaching initiatives of its kind, backed by hundreds of civic and celebrity champions, elected officials and national health and civic groups. Anyone can join at 50millionpounds.com. The online support community tallies total pounds lost and offers free resources, including a 30-day diet plan, and personal weight and activity trackers to make fitness easier and more fun.
A study in the July 2007 New England Journal of Medicine found that close friends and family set a powerful example for each other—they tend to gain, but can also lose weight, together. The Challenge aims to reach its goal by making it easier for millions to come together to fight the epidemic of excess weight. Today more than 135 million Americans and two thirds of adults are overweight, with the obesity rate doubling in the last few decades. Each week, 10,000 die from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and other illness related to inactivity and diet. African Americans are especially hard hit: 80% of women and 67% of men face higher risk from weight-related illness, with life expectancy five years below the U.S. average.