Nickelodeon Announces 'Let's Just Play Giveaway' Winners

Nickelodeon Announces 'Let's Just Play Giveaway' Winners

Network Distributes More Than $1.2 Million Over Past 10 Months to 240 Organizations in All 50 States

NEW YORK, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon announces the latest round of winners of the "Let's Just Play Giveaway," an effort by the network to distribute more than $1.2 million in funds to help kids improve their schools' or communities' play facilities. Forty kids from schools and organizations around the country will receive $5,000 each. The winners will be announced on Nick.com, and some will be featured on Nickelodeon's air. The "Let's Just Play Giveaway" is part of Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" pro-social campaign, which encourages healthy and active lifestyles for kids and families.

Kids entered to win the "Let's Just Play Giveaway" by visiting www.nick.com or www.everythingnick.com. Partnering with teachers and other community-based leaders, kids told Nickelodeon what they need for their school or club to help them play better and why, and gave three reasons why play is important. Once the entry form was completed and mailed to Nickelodeon, the winners were randomly selected.

The 40 May "Let's Just Play Giveaway" winners are* (in alphabetical order by school/organization):

-- Assumption School (Manchester, CT)
-- Bethany Elementary School (Reidsville, NC)
-- Bishop Ryan High School (Minot, ND)
-- Brewster Pierce Memorial School (Huntington, VT)
-- Boys and Girls Club of Jackson County (Black River Falls, WI)
-- Broad Brook Elementary School (Broad Brook, CT)
-- Cascade Christian - Tacoma Elementary School (Tacoma, WA)
-- Castleford Elementary School (Castleford, ID)
-- Cordova Library Museum After School Program (Cordova, AK)
-- Dora R-III School District (Dora, MO)
-- Eldora New Providence School (Eldora, IA)
-- Huntertown Elementary PTO (Versailles, KY)
-- Klassic Kids Loma Portal (San Diego, CA)
-- Lake George Charter School (Lake George, CO)
-- Lancaster Public School (Lancaster, MN)
-- Mahoosuc Arts Council (Bethel, ME)
-- Maury Elementary School (Washington, DC)
-- McDonald Green Elementary School (Lancaster, SC)
-- Metro Parks Tacoma (Tacoma, WA)
-- Mount Helena Gymnastics Boosters (Helena, MT)
-- New Heights Middle School (Jefferson, SC)
-- New Outlook Teen Center (Exeter, NH)
-- North East Community Center Raise the Roof After School Program
(Millerton, NY)
-- North Little Rock Montessori (North Little Rock, AR)
-- North Smithfield Elementary School (North Smithfield, RI)
-- Oakland Craig Public Schools (Oakland, NE)
-- Roosa Elementary School (Claremore, OK)
-- Shoshone School District/Elementary (Shoshone, ID)
-- South Memorial Elementary School (Peabody, MA)
-- SPLORE (Salt Lake City, UT)
-- St. John the Baptist (New Brighton, MN)
-- St. Joseph Regional Junior High School (Manchester, NH)
-- St. Paul School (St. Paul Island, AK)
-- St. Thomas School (Ft. Thomas, KY)
-- TASK OST Program (Tea, SD)
-- TOPPS, Inc. (Pine Bluff, AR)
-- Westwood Elementary School (Coker, AL)
-- Woonsocket School (Woonsocket, SD)
-- YMCA Downtown Teen Center (North Attleboro, MA)
-- YMCA of Metro Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)

The "Let's Just Play Giveaway" is an extension of the 2004-2005 "Let's Just Play" grants program, where Nickelodeon awarded more than $600,000 to 81 organizations and schools. A total of $9 million was cited in the 1,800 grant applications received, causing the network to more than double its funding for the "Let's Just Play Giveaway." The network, through its grants program and Giveaway, has awarded approximately $2 million to more than 320 organizations since 2004.

Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" recently entered into a partnership with The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, to combat the spread of childhood obesity. The three organizations are combining forces on a comprehensive media and public awareness campaign, encouraging young people to engage in healthy and active lifestyles.

As part of the partnership, the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge, which focuses on four kids' real life struggles and successes in the quest to make their lives healthier, recently debuted on Nickelodeon in April, serving as the kick-off to a movement that aims to increase awareness among young people about the importance of eating well and being physically fit, and that empowers kids and families to be agents of change in their communities. Kids can sign up to take the challenge at www.nick.com/letsjustplay. The next installment of the Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge airs August 27, 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon, leading up to the network's third annual World Wide Day of Play on September 30.

About Nickelodeon's "Let's Just Play" Pro-Social Campaign

Currently in its fourth year, "Let's Just Play" is Nickelodeon's pro- social commitment to encourage kids to participate in active, healthy, and playful lifestyles - a much needed antidote to reports of the rise in childhood obesity, the concerns about reduction of PE in schools and in after- school programs, and the over-scheduled and sedentary lifestyles of kids today. In addition to using the power of Nickelodeon's air, online sites, magazines, and celebrity support, the channel devotes significant year-round resources to building a grassroots infrastructure that supports physical play opportunities in communities everywhere.

"Let's Just Play" was recently awarded four Cable Television Public Affairs Association Beacon Awards, which recognize excellence in the public affairs industry. For more information on the "Let's Just Play" program, visit www.everythingnick.com.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, in its 27th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 90 million households and has been the number- one-rated basic cable network for eleven consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA)(NYSE:and)(NYSE:VIA.B).

*For individual names of winners, please contact Nickelodeon's press department.

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Joanna Roses, +1-212-846-7326, or Thamar Romero, +1-212-846-
7491, both of Nickelodeon

Web site: http://www.nick.com/
http://www.everythingnick.com/
http://www.nick.com/letsjustplay

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