KwanzaaFest 2009 - 5K Walk/Run and 1 Mile Kid's Run

Sponsored By: Sam's Club and Wal-Mart

The annual KwanzaaFest Beat Obesity "5KWalk/Run" and "1 Mile Kid's Run" will take place on Saturday, December 12, 2009. This is a remarkable occasion to inspire and be inspired by hundreds of individuals who are walking and/or running to increase awareness about the health related problems associated with obesity.

For the past 20 years, obesity has been on the rise. According to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2004, 30 percent of U.S. adults 20 years of age and older-over 60 million people-are obese. This increase is not limited to adults. The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6-19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are considered overweight. As a result, these increases placed our community at risk for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and a variety of other diseases and illnesses. We are at a crisis level. Let's rise above crisis level together.

Please join me by walking and/or running as an individual or team on Saturday, December 12, 2009 to beat obesity in our communities. Fitness experts will work in tandem to conduct an aerobic warm up and stretching session, and lead the "5K Walk/Run" and "1 Mile Kid's Run" participants around Fair Park. These spectacular events will be filled with fun, entertainment, prizes, give-a-ways, and a post power breakfast. Best of all, for the 5K Walk/Run event, individuals (in defined age categories) with the fastest finish time will receive an award and the three teams with the largest number of participants will receive prizes.

Thank you in advance for your participation!