Schools Compete in Statewide Elementary Fitness Meet Competition April 16
Event to be televised for the fourth consecutive year

Thursday, April 14, 2011  |  Contact: Lisa R. Faust; (225) 342-7913 or (225) 252-3579 (cell)

BATON ROUGE - More than 100 children from 25 parishes will converge on the LSU Carl Maddox Fieldhouse on Saturday, April 16 for the 18th annual Elementary Championship Fitness Meet sponsored by the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. For the fourth time in the program's history, Cox Communications will broadcast the competition in at least 14 parishes.

Elementary schools from across the state held local elementary fitness meets to select two boys and two girls to represent their schools as fitness champions in a preliminary meet, which determined the two boys and two girls from each parish who will compete in the statewide elementary fitness meet.

Saturday, parish champions will participate in seven fitness events from the President's Challenge Model: the 50-yard dash, shuttle run, pull-ups, standing long-jump, curl-ups or sit-ups, 600-yard run and the v-sit and reach. At the event's conclusion, the top three competing parishes will be recognized, and the top boy and girl will be crowned Mr. and Miss Fitness for the State of Louisiana. 

"The Elementary Fitness Meet is the only event of its kind in the nation, but hopefully that won't be the case for long," said Rudy Macklin, Executive Director of the Louisiana Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. "I am proud we are able to offer Louisiana children the chance to showcase their physical fitness and improve their health. After this event, the Governor's Fitness Council is meeting with the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in Washington, D.C. to discuss plans for a National Championship Fitness Meet, which would extend this opportunity to children across the nation."

Opening ceremonies for the statewide meet begin at 10 a.m., and the event is free to the public. To learn more about this event and view the complete schedule of Governor's Games events, visit www.lagovernorsgames.org.

The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals strives to protect and promote health statewide and to ensure access to medical, preventive and rehabilitative services for all state citiznes. To learn more about DHH, visit http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov. For up-to-date health information, news and emergency updates, follow DHH's blog, Twitter account and Facebook.