MYIA, Inc. Hosts Oakland's First GoGirlGo!® Outreach Project Bringing the Women's Sports Foundation to the Bay Area
Just 13-years old, the recent 8th grade graduate Myia has founded her own non-profit community organization; received national sports recognitions; accepted numerous community awards; and excelled academically. Currently, she is involved with the national Women's Sports Foundation program founded by former women's tennis champion Billie Jean King. It is in this capacity that young Myia Jones' company (MYIA, Inc.) will host a spectacular event in Oakland for the Women’s Sports Foundation's GoGirlGo! National Outreach Campaign to encourage Bay Area teen girls to "get moving," GoGirlGo! Oakland.
Vacaville, CA (PRWEB) July 14, 2005 -- The health of America's youth –
particularly girls in the critical developmental ages of 8 to 18 – is in grave
danger. Inactive girls face critical health risks and social problems including
obesity, heart disease, smoking, drug & alcohol use, teen pregnancy and
depression. GoGirlGo! is a national campaign that the Women's Sports Foundation
(WSF) established to address these issues and to get one million girls moving,
particularly those in underserved communities. In an effort to inspire Bay Area
teen girls to get healthy through physical activity and sports participation,
MYIA, Inc. (Multicultural Youth-in-Action) will host GoGirlGo! Oakland from 3:00
until 6:00 p.m., Sunday, August 7, 2005 at Barnes & Noble Booksellers Jack
London Square, 98 Broadway, Oakland, CA.
The event’s electrifying
atmosphere will encompass music, book signings, raffles and appearances by local
athletes and other celebrities. Among the afternoon’s special guests will be
Miss Black California USA 2005 and Miss Black USA 2005 pageant contestant
Rachelle Cain; journalist and Oscar, Emmy and Sundance Award-winning filmmaker
(“When the Storm Came”) Shilpi Gupta; and entrepreneur, motivational speaker and
author (“1001 Reasons to Think Positive”) Ella Patterson. The festival-like
affair will include entertainment by Bay Area vocalists Shari-Bennett Jackson
and Khadia Davidson, rapper M C Underdogg and more.
There will be
exciting events and activities for youth and adults both inside of Barnes &
Noble and on the adjoining patio where MYIA, Inc. representatives will encourage
adults to pledge to get the girls in their lives moving. GoGirlGo! Oakland is
supported by local Bay Area sponsors Barnes & Noble Booksellers, CityFlight
Media Network and ClearChannel San Francisco, and national sponsors of the
Women’s Sports Foundation and GoGirlGo! Advanta, Gatorade, Moving Comfort and
the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Interested corporate, in-kind and media sponsors
are invited to contact Herb Jones at e-mail protected from spam bots or
707-301-6302.
According to a 2004 Women's Sports Foundation report, "...
girls do not have enough encouragement or opportunity to participate in sports
and fitness activities. Nearly one out of every two high school boys plays
sports, while only one in three high school girls participates."
Also
noted in the WSF report, "Economic inequalities exert powerful influences on
health and illness. Not all girls have the same sports and fitness opportunities
due to the economic circumstances of their families, schools, and communities."
Some of the reports findings suggest the fitness and athletic experiences of
poor girls and many girls of color are often mediated by poverty and racial
discrimination.
Myia commented, "I am honored that the Women’s Sports
Foundation recognized me as "California 2004 SportsGirl of the Year." She
continued, "And as representative for the Women’s Sports Foundation’s GoGirlGo!
National Outreach Campaign, I am both proud and excited that MYIA, Inc. will be
a major participant this year in the Foundation's national call-to-action to get
one million girls moving, and make physical activity part of their
lives."
National corporate sponsors of the Women’s Sports Foundation
Advanta, Gatorade, Moving Comfort and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company are key
supporters in the effort, with each company targeting a different age segment to
get girls and adults involved in the GoGirlGo! Initiative.
ABOUT MYIA,
INC. (Multicultural Youth-in-Action)
Founded by then 10-year-old Myia Jones,
MYIA, Inc. is a non-profit community organization formed to develop community
service activities that encourage young people to become intimately involved
with positive societal events from which participants may learn leadership and
citizenship life skills.
The organization's 13-year-old visionary and
president was a top-five finalist for "National 2004 SportsGirl of the Year."
Additionally, Wrigley and the Women’s Sports Foundation named Myia "California
2004 SportsGirl of the Year." Myia is currently a representative for the Women’s
Sports Foundation GoGirlGo! National Outreach Campaign, which seeks to get one
million girls to improve their physical and emotional health through sports
participation. Myia was recently named among the “10 Most Influential African
Americans in the Bay Area” by CityFlight Media Network and State Farm Insurance.
In addition to her community work and sports activities, the highly awarded teen
also excels academically. MYIA, Inc. is located in Vacaville, CA. For more
information about Myia Jones and MYIA, Inc., please call (707)
301-6382.
ABOUT THE WOMEN'S SPORT FOUNDATION:
Founded in 1974 by
Billie Jean King, the Women’s Sports Foundation is a national charitable
educational organization seeking to advance the lives of girls and women through
sports and physical activity. The Foundation’s Participation, Education,
Advocacy, Research and Leadership programs are made possible by gifts from
individuals, foundations and corporations.
The purpose of the Women’s
Sports Foundation's GoGirlGo! Grant and Educational Program is to provide
financial assistance ($2.6 million in grants) to sports and physical activity
programs seeking to add new or expanded program participation opportunities for
an under-served population of girls, particularly economically disadvantaged
girls and/or girls from populations with high incidences of health-risk
behaviors. For further information about the national GoGirlGo! program, please
visit www.GoGirlGo.com.
The 501(c)(3) Foundation serves as a
center for collecting and sharing information on girls and women in sports and
physical activity. The Women’s Sports Foundation also produces quality academic
research on the psychological, social and physiological dimensions of sports and
physical activity in the lives of girls and women. The Foundation is located in
Nassau County, N.Y. For more information, please call the Foundation at (800)
227-3988 or visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org or AOL Keyword: WSF.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/7/prweb261639.htm