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Chicago Turns it Loose for The Challenge

Challenge Hosts Lead Float in Annual Bud Billiken Parade, Star-studded Cast Shines at Special Event in Washington Park

The 50 Million Pound Challenge got a rousing windy-city welcome in Chicago Aug. 11.  Close to a million people turned out for the annual Bud Billiken Parade, and thousands more joined a star-studded Challenge event where featured recording stars Common, Musiq Soulchild, Slick Rick, Rob Base and Da Brat joined Dr. Ian Smith in encouraging people to take control of their health.

The action-packed Saturday began with Challenge founder Dr. Ian Smith aboard "The 50 Million Pound Challenge" float in Chicago''s popular 78th annual Bud Billiken Parade -- the nation''s largest annual African-American parade.  For 2 1/2 miles along Martin Luther King Drive, Dr. Ian--who was an honorary grand marshal for this year's event--and the rest of the Challenge float team rocked the route with a message of healthier living to a hip-hop beat that had thousands of onlookers cheering and joining in dance along the way.

After finishing the parade, the day's festivities shifted gear, but the music and entertainment was just getting started.  The free special event in Chicago's Washington Park treated thousands more to an afternoon of live music and entertainment from a celebrity line-up that also included DJ Biz Markie, radio hosts Tom Joyner and J. Anthony Brown, and Celebrity's Fit Club's Harvey Walden IV. 

The celebrities and crowd also took the opportunity to get serious about healthier lifestyles.  Attendees lined up to get free health screenings, learn more about The Challenge's free fitness tips and tools, and fill out registration cards to join The Challenge. They committed to their own personal campaigns to get fit and lose weight, ultimately live longer, look and feel great.  Many also got free eshots photos, which they can use as "before" shots to show their progress "after" reaching their personal weight-loss goals--and help motivate to keep the weight off. 

The August 11 event was the 10th stop on The Challenge's 14-city tour to rally people across the country to take control of their health and fight the epidemic of excess weight threatening half of all Americans and hitting the African-American community especially hard. The Challenge makes it easier for participants to lose weight with free tips and tools and an online support network.  The initiative recently got some support of its own from a July study in the New England Journal of Medicine that found close friends and family set a powerful example for each other.  And, while they tend to gain weight together, they can also lose weight together, an idea that is the foundation for The Challenge.

Led by Dr. Ian Smith--author of NY Times #1 bestseller Extreme Fat Smash Diet and VH1 Celebrity Fit Club expert -- The Challenge in the last 4 months has taken on more than 197,000 participants, who've taken off more than 460,000 pounds.  This historic campaign and commitment, backed by a host of leaders and supporters across the African-American community continues on to Milwaukee on August 25.  For more information, visit 50millionpounds.com.

Key highlights and comments from Chicago included:

• "We came to Chicago to help people make healthier lifestyle choices and give up the pounds, not the fight," said Dr. Ian.  "This is an historic opportunity to join hands as a community, take control of our health and save lives. The groundswell of support is remarkable. More than 197,000 people have joined and lost more than 460,000 pounds.  Chicago can help us pass the half million pound mark!   What began as a simple challenge has become a commitment spreading across the entire community. We gained the weight together. We can take it off together.  Looking out for each other, we can reverse these deadly health trends, one small step at a time.  Join us in taking The Challenge.  It's free.  It's fun.  The reward is worth the weight--it can save your life, and you'll look and feel great!"
• Erika Summers from Mayor Richard Daley's office read a proclamation declaring Aug. 11, 2007, 50 Milllion Pound Challenge Day in Chicago.
• Radio host Tom Joyner made a special guest appearance at the event, reaffirming his support for The Challenge and Dr. Ian, who appears frequently on the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show to talk about the latest news and progress from The Challenge.  Mr. Joyner said, "This is a problem all Americans need to worry about, but the African-American community is at even greater risk.   We can turn this situation around, but only if we all commit to making better lifestyle choices and lose the pounds we need to reach a healthier weight."
• Grammy-winning hip hop star Common sang some of his top hits and signed autographs. He said, "We've all got so much power and potential to lift ourselves up, make our voices heard and plant seeds that can change our lives forever.  Too many people are selling their lives short by not taking care of their health.  Their forever can be over before it's even started. It's time we got concerned.  It's time we took action.  We need to liberate our bodies and liberate our souls.  We need to take on the responsibility of using our freedom to make smart choices in our lives. The Challenge is helping us take back forever by taking control of our health, helping us make smarter choices in the food we eat, shape were in and lives we lead.  If we have faith in ourselves, God and each other, there's no limit to what we can achieve."
• Grammy-nominated soul star Musiq Soulchild treated the crowd to some of his best songs and offered encouragement, saying, "I'm honored that I can use my influence to bring attention and raise awareness to the cause of being healthy.  I think that everyone should want to do the same.  You only have one body.  It would be wise to take care of it."
• Rounding out the day was more great music to move people's bodies and souls from rapper Slick Rick, hip hop star Rob Base, rapper Da Brat and renowned DJ Biz Markie.  Celebrity Fit Club's Harvey Walden IV, offered strong words of encouragement to the crowd, who also got lots of laughs and love from national radio host J. Anthony Brown.