CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 02/02/16

Walk Georgia and the Atlanta Hawks team up for a night of family fun

By Bridget Marie Thompson

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension’s Walk Georgia program will host its fifth annual Walk Georgia Night with the Hawks on Saturday, Feb. 20.

Walk Georgia, which empowers and encourages Georgians to incorporate physical activity into their daily lives, will partner with the Atlanta Hawks to offer discounted tickets to the Atlanta Hawks game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

In addition to admission, Walk Georgia Night tickets include early entrance, VIP pregame activities and a T-shirt. The first 45 people to check in at the event will also have the chance to high-five Hawks players as they exit the court at halftime. The event will be hosted at Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and begins at 5 p.m., two-and-a-half hours before tipoff.

This year, as a part of Walk Georgia Night pregame activities, Walk Georgia will recognize the winner of the inaugural Power Up for 30 - Walk Georgia Classroom Activity Contest.

The monthlong contest, cosponsored by Walk Georgia and Power Up for 30, encourages Georgia classrooms to compete against one another for the most time spent exercising as a classroom.

“Highlighting the innovative ways that Power Up for 30 schools are increasing physical activity during the school day allows us to reward teachers for their commitment to school wellness,” said Kelly Cornett, physical activity and school health specialist at the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Power Up for 30 is Georgia Governor Nathan Deal’s statewide initiative to provide elementary schools with the training, resources and support necessary to integrate at least 30 minutes of physical activity into the school day.

Through this partnership, which includes the Atlanta Hawks, UGA and the Office of Governor Nathan Deal, Walk Georgia hopes to motivate more educators to incorporate physical activity into their daily routine.

“The Walk Georgia platform provides an excellent, easy-to-use tracking system for the activity being done in the classroom,” Cornett said. “This contest will reward classroom teachers for implementing a more active learning environment, and we also have the opportunity to share their story at the Hawks game to hopefully inspire other teachers across the state.”

According to 2013 statistics by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the obesity rate is over 30 percent for Georgia adults and is almost 13 percent for Georgia adolescents.

The Walk Georgia program was created in 2008 to address the concern of Georgia’s high rates of obesity. Their partnership with the Atlanta Hawks began in 2011 as a way to highlight the benefits of being active to both kids and adults.

“We love partnering with the Atlanta Hawks to offer a family-friendly, VIP event for people who are interested in getting active while supporting the Hawks,” said Walk Georgia Director Maria Bowie.

For more information or to purchase tickets to the event, log on to walkgeorgia.org/events.

Bridget Thompson is the public relations specialist for the University of Georgia's Walk Georgia program.

Authors:
Bridget Marie Thompson
Experts/Sources:
Maria Bowie
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension's Walk Georgia program will host its fifth annual Walk Georgia Night with the Hawks on Saturday, Feb. 20.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.
Download Image
UGA Extension offers mindfulness and skills training to help the incarcerated reclaim their hope. CAES News
UGA Extension offers training to help the incarcerated reclaim their hope 09/30/24 Cal Powell
A train rumbles through the heart of downtown Tennille, Georgia. The southbound train cars are loaded with kaolin, the white clay that serves as the city’s main export. Avery Franklin sets his leaf blower on the ground, takes a seat on a park bench under a pecan tree and begins telling his story. He was 19 years old the first time he went to jail. He’s 63 now, released four months ago after a lifetime of petty crime. He’s sitting 3 miles from the Washington County, Georgia, jail cell where he spent most of the last three years of his life.
Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension offices across the state. CAES News
UGA sponsoring radon poster contest for Georgia students 09/13/24 Rebecca Cantrell
Radon, an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas, is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the U.S., but it can be detected and mitigated with the help of local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service offices across the state. Radon comes from the breakdown of uranium in granite and rocky soils, so Georgia’s wealth of granite bedrock increases the chance of household radon for its residents.
LiceCheck CAES News
A back-to-school guide to the nitty-gritty on head lice 08/12/24 Allison Johnson
As students return to school, head lice often become a common concern for administrators and parents. Understanding how to prevent and manage head lice infestations is crucial for maintaining healthy environments in schools and at home. Allison Johnson, the Pesticide Safety Education Program coordinator for the University of Georgia, provides essential information and advice to help mitigate the spread of this pesky pest.
For some students, heading back to school feels like entering a pressure cooker. Parents can ease anxieties by helping their students develop strategies for handling stressful situations. CAES News
Families should make a plan to manage back-to-school stress 07/29/24 Merritt Melancon
As summer draws to an end, both students and parents need to prepare for the return to school. While a new backpack and a collection of notebooks and pens might top their to-do list, students also need to prepare emotionally, said Diane Bales, a human development specialist for University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and a professor of human development and family science in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Coastal Acres CAES News
AgrAbility program offers a Georgia farm family a new path forward 07/03/24 Jordan Powers
When a half-ton bale of hay fell off a wagon in 2019, striking the back of Donald Adams’ head, the future of his family farm fell into immediate uncertainty. More than 200 head of cattle are worked on the land at Coastal Acres, a Dearing, Georgia, operation that involves intense manual labor. “Donald sustained a C5-C6 spinal cord injury and was paralyzed from the neck down,” said Laura Adams, Adams’ wife and co-owner of Coastal Acres.
A Master Gardener with UGA Extension teaches a class at the GROWL Fulton County Demonstration and Teaching Garden. (Submitted photo) CAES News
Volunteers uplift statewide UGA Extension outreach programs 04/22/24 Sheri Dorn, Keri Gandy Hobbs
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension depends on thousands of volunteers who give generously to extend program impact and reach in support Extension missions. During Volunteer Appreciation Week April 21-28, UGA Extension celebrates the many volunteers who donate their time to facilitate 4-H, Master Gardener and Family and Consumer Sciences programming. Volunteers across Extension contributed over 324,200 hours in 2023, the equivalent of more than 155 full-time employees.