News
Joey Fatone Jumpstarts PepsiCo S.M.A.R.T. Program to Promote Active, Healthy Lifestyles
ORLANDO, Fla.-(Business Wire)-December 15, 2006 - Joey Fatone, actor, singer and member of N'Sync, is kicking off the Orlando launch of the PepsiCo S.M.A.R.T. program today to promote active, healthy lifestyles by building a new Smart Spot playground with the Devereux Florida Family Support and Visitation Center (DFSVC) at 118 Pasadena Place to benefit Orlando families. Under the leadership of KaBOOM!, a national non-profit that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America, the playground will be built by 200 volunteers from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division, DFSVC and the local community.
Local dignitaries will also attend today's event.
Live S.M.A.R.T.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for five simple steps that encourage active living and better food choices:
— Start with a healthy breakfast
— Move more
— Add more fruits, vegetables and whole grains
— Remember to hydrate
— Try lower calorie or lower fat foods
"Staying healthy requires living an active lifestyle and making better nutritional choices, which is what we at PepsiCo are trying to demonstrate through our S.M.A.R.T. initiative," said Amy Farmer, MDM Florida Region, Frito-Lay. "This Smart Spot playground enables kids and their parents to move more, one of the basic principles of the S.M.A.R.T. life."
Designed to be easy-to-remember, the S.M.A.R.T. steps are based on research by James O. Hill, Ph.D., a developer of the National Weight Control Registry and co-founder of America On the Move. The S.M.A.R.T. steps address both sides of the energy balance equation: managing the calories consumed through food and the calories burned from physical activity. Dr. Hill's research showed the people who were most successful in improving their health didn't make drastic changes. Instead, they did a few basic things that could be easily incorporated into their everyday lives. That is the basis of S.M.A.R.T.
"What I like about PepsiCo's S.M.A.R.T. steps is that they make a healthy lifestyle seem a lot more realistic and achievable for families," said Fatone.
"The children that arrive at DFFVSC have been removed from their homes due to abuse/neglect. They come here to visit with family members in a supervised safe environment." said Danette Travis, spokesperson Devereux Florida Family Support & Visitation Center.
"The playground granted to us by PepsiCo and KaBOOM will afford our children an opportunity to partake in an activity while they are visiting with family members. We are most grateful for the generosity of PepsiCo, KaBOOM! and all the community support we have received to make this playground a reality."
The S.M.A.R.T. Lifestyle
S.M.A.R.T. is a comprehensive lifestyle program with a number of components including an industry-leading, national advertising campaign that promotes healthy lifestyles beyond products, a free mini-magazine called, Smart Spot Magazine and a comprehensive website in English and Spanish with tips, tools and resources at www.smartspot.com.
PepsiCo is also helping people make better food choices by putting the Smart Spot(TM) symbol on products that meet nutrition criteria based on authoritative statements from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Academy of Sciences. The Smart Spot symbol appears on more than 250 PepsiCo products including Tropicana Pure Premium, Aquafina, Gatorade, Baked! Lays, Quaker Oatmeal and Diet Pepsi, among many others.
Find Smart Spot Playgrounds Across the Country
The Orlando launch of the PepsiCo S.M.A.R.T. program marks the completion of the 2006 Smart Spot playground campaign. In partnership with KaBOOM!, PepsiCo built 12 playgrounds in 2006. The playgrounds are located in Washington, D.C.; Dallas; Phoenix; San Antonio; Chicago (2); Sacramento, Calif.; Little Rock, Ark.; Detroit; New York; Los Angeles and Orlando, Fla.
"At KaBOOM!, we believe in the power of play to help kids grow stronger physically, socially and emotionally," said Darell Hammond, chief executive officer and co-founder of KaBOOM!. "That's why we were proud to partner with PepsiCo and build Smart Spot playgrounds in communities that want to move more, have fun and live healthier."
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage companies, with 2005 annual revenues of more than $32 billion. Its principal businesses include Frito-Lay snacks, Pepsi-Cola beverages, Gatorade sports drinks, Tropicana juices and Quaker foods. Its portfolio includes 17 brands that each generates $1 billion or more in annual retail sales.
About KaBOOM!
Celebrating its ten year anniversary in 2006, KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Over the past decade, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct nearly 1,000 new playgrounds, skateparks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including a web portal and online community, regional and national trainings, grants and publications for communities that wish to plan a new playspace on their own. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago, Atlanta and San Mateo, CA. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.
About Devereux Florida Family Support and Visitation Center
The Devereux Florida Family Support and Visitation Center (FSVC) provides a safe, neutral, child-friendly environment offering supervised visitation for children who are in state custody and have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect and/or abandonment. The FSVC provides resources and support for the preservation and enhancement of families by operating a facility that accommodates foster care visitations and educational resources; collaborating with family service agencies to formulate programs for parents; and informing parents of available community resources.
