Fitness is Fun!
January 2006

PCPFS 50 Year Celebration
The PCPFS Council members, Science Board, and staff are getting ready for 2006, the 50 year celebration of the creation of the PCPFS, originally known as President's Council on Youth Fitness. We encourage national, state, local, private and public organizations, industry, volunteer groups to join us in highlighting the benefits of a fit and active lifestyle and all of the great model programs at the grassroots level! This is a great opportunity for the PCPFS to highlight all of your accomplishment. A special seal has been developed for this celebration and is available for all schools, businesses, and organizations to use. A fact sheet on becoming a partner can be viewed at http://www.presidentschallenge.org/misc/news_research/announcements/pcpfs50.pdf If you'd like to find out more, please don't hesitate to call Chris Spain at the President's Council Physical Fitness and Sports 202-690-9000.

General Mills Grants for PALA Awards
A unique partnership between the President's Challenge and General Mills Community Action is allowing eligible schools to receive free Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) emblems and certificates for eligible students at their school. Through the General Mills Champions for Healthy Kids program, General Mills Community Action will provide Presidential recognition to eligible low socioeconomic status schools (up to 25,000 students) and the President's Challenge will list the school on our Web site, http://www.presidentschallenge.com/ as a "General Mills Challenge School." In order to be eligible for the awards, students must meet the PALA requirements of being physically active 60 minutes per day, five days a week for six weeks. Also, if 35% of the student population earns the PALA award two or more times during the school year, the school will automatically earn the distinction of becoming a President's Challenge Active Lifestyle Model School. If you are a low socioeconomic status school, fill out the application at http://www.presidentschallenge.org/advocates/gen_mills_sponsorform.pdfand send it in to the President's Challenge office.

2006 PEP Funding Approved
The U.S. Congress gave final approval to the fiscal year 2006 spending bill for the Department of Education, clearing the bill for President George W. Bush to sign into law. This bill will provide $73.480 million for the Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) for the upcoming year, representing even funding from last year's spending level. In a budget that featured sharp cuts in many programs, this is a major victory for supporters of physical education.

In its Forecast of Discretionary Grant Program Funding Opportunities, the Department of Education earlier this month estimated that it will publish an application notice for PEP on February 27, 2006 with a due date of April 12. It expects to award approximately 60-65 new grants of around $250,000 later in the spring. For more up to date information about PEP, please visit http://www.pepgrant.info

Little bit of sweat may help seniors stave off dementia
A new study conducted by Seattle researchers has revealed that just 15 minutes of exercise three days per week can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease or other dementia by 30 to 40 percent, and the weakest patients who did no exercise could cut their risk the most. The researchers tracked 1,740 individuals 65 and older for about six years. Of the original pool, 1,185 people were later found to be free of dementia, and 77 percent of them reported exercising at least three times per week. Participants did several types of exercises, including bicycling, aerobics, walking, and swimming. Researchers believe that exercise may delay dementia because it stimulates blood flow to the brain, and other studies have shown that physically fit older people have the least damage to the area of the brain that is first affected by Alzheimer's. For the complete article, please visit http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002744244_exercise17m.html.