The In Motion Community Pledge Challenge was officially launched on October 3 by Moose Jaw's Mayor Glenn Hagel, Saskatchewan In Motion and Moose Jaw In Motion. The challenge is offering Saskatchewan communities the chance to win $10,000 for a community project or initiative that increases the physical activity of our province's children and youth.
Mayor Glenn Hagel is excited to be part of the official launch and is even more thrilled that his community of Moose Jaw is registered for the In Motion Community Pledge Challenge.
"Our community has always been a strong supporter of physical activity opportunities, especially for our kids and youth. I know we will work with Moose Jaw In Motion and all residents to produce the best entry for our chance to win the $10,000 prize money."
"Raising public awareness about our kids' physical inactivity is really what the In Motion Community Pledge Challenge is all about," said Cathie Kryzanowski, General Manager of Saskatchewan In Motion.
Less than 15% of Saskatchewan kids get the minimum 60 minutes of physical activity they need every day and more is better.
"We know that physically inactive kids will face long term health risks. Through this challenge, we're giving families the opportunity to pledge to take action by rallying their community to get registered for a chance to win a significant amount of prize money that will help spark that initiative or project that gets kids moving more," Kryzanowski added.
Communities that register before October 30, 2011 will be eligible for an Early Bird Prize of $1,000 to help them promote the challenge locally. A panel of judges will choose the top five finalist communities based on the strength and creativity of their entries and the number of pledges they collect before December 30, 2011. The winning community of the $10,000 prize money will be chosen through an on-line public vote. An award of $500 toward an active vacation experience will also be given away to one lucky pledger.
Mayor Hagel added, "As Mayor of Moose Jaw, I challenge all mayors in Saskatchewan to endorse and support the challenge by ensuring their community is registered." Mayors are also encouraged to produce a 30 to 60 second video about their support for their community registration and post it on YouTube to encourage other mayors to participate.
"Today, our community was officially registered," says Jeff Fox, Moose Jaw In Motion Community Champion. He added, "Part of the challenge criteria for winning is the number of pledges each community collects so we want to get as many pledges as we can!" Every pledge from the registered community helps win the $10,000 prize money. Our kids are counting on us!
The In Motion Community Pledge Challenge is designed to get communities working together to make a positive difference and make physical activity the easy choice for our kids. For more information, visit www.saskatchewaninmotion.ca.
