The Weight Is Over! The BET Foundation Presents Its 3rd Annual Summer Camp for Girls

The Weight Is Over! The BET Foundation Presents Its 3rd Annual Summer Camp for Girls

A Seven-Day Healthy Living Camp Designed by the BET Foundation to Educate African-American Girls about Obesity and Practical Strategies for a Healthier Lifestyle

WASHINGTON, May 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Coming off a stellar year of successful health-related events, the BET Foundation is ready to kick off it's popular "Summer Camp For Girls" on August 4-11, 2007 -- this time with a little southern twist and support from BET Networks, State Farm, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System ("ACES") and Kodak. This year's campsite will be the Alabama 4-H Youth Development Center located in Columbiana, AL and the program is a collaborative effort between the BET Foundation and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, including Alabama A&M University and Auburn University.

The week-long camp was specifically designed as an effective approach to help African-American girls and their parents identify and practice lifestyle changes that will assist in achieving and maintaining healthy body weight and a positive self-image through health literacy, physical activity, healthy lifestyle choices, proper nutrition, and self-appreciation. The program components include: daily exercise & fitness activities; Media Smart Youth; art therapy; group counseling and self-esteem workshops; trust and confidence building exercises; arts and crafts; talent and fashion shows; movie nights; and special celebrity guest appearances.

"We chose to partner with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System because of its long-standing history of being an agency and university consortium for life-enriching change at the grassroots level," explains Lynda Dorman, executive director of the BET Foundation. "With this partnership, we are confident that the efforts and the excitement we generate from the Summer Camp for Girls, along with the outcomes we expect for each girl can be sustained and duplicated throughout our nation in additional partnerships with similar agencies for the improvement of our youth's health."

The BET Foundation created this special camp as an innovative weight reduction and nutrition-based program for African-American girls ages 10 - 12 from low to moderate-income families. The purpose is to provide young girls with the vital information and tools necessary to aid them in making healthy lifestyle choices, and to serve as a "health" advocate for their family and peers. The camp curriculum will provide simple nutrition strategies; instill positive leadership and decision-making skills; and provide a fun-filled, memorable camp experience.

Campers will be selected based on essays their parent/guardians submit expressing why they should participate in the one-week fitness program and how the experience will influence a healthier lifestyle. Starting June 1, 2007, parents can upload their essays on www.ahealthybet.com.

The deadline for essay submission is July 1, 2007, and both a parent/guardian and doctor's approval are required for participation. Interested parents/guardians can log onto www.ahealthybet.com for more information.

"We are excited to partner with the BET Foundation in hosting BET's Summer Camp for Girls," states Rosalind James, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Human Nutrition and Health, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. "In addition to the tens of thousands of children in our country, specifically in Alabama there are 340,000 children who are overweight and in danger of developing serious health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease. Like in other states, physical education is no longer mandatory in Alabama schools beyond the middle schools and we see this as an opportunity to provide preventive measures for the girls and their parents."

"Our primary goal is to provide a positive camping experience that combines a relaxing natural setting with an opportunity for personal growth and the development of life skills for reversing the trend of childhood obesity," said Sandra Spencer, Manager of the Alabama 4-H Youth Development Center. "Our goal is to deliver consistent quality service that enhances youth development and ensures meaningful hands-on activities that support a healthy lifestyle."

ABOUT BET

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE:VIA) and (NYSE:VIA.B), is the leading provider of media and entertainment for African Americans and consumers of Black culture on a global basis. The primary BET cable network reaches more than 84 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET Digital Networks -- BET J, BET Gospel, and BET Hip-Hop -- are brands that combine to serve a broader and more diverse audience than the core network. BET.com is the number one internet destination for the target audiences. BET Mobile delivers music, gaming, and video content to the target audiences on wireless devices across virtually all service providers. BET Event Productions is a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe. BET International delivers BET content to the consumers of Black culture around the world. BET Networks inspires its audiences to make a difference in their lives and communities with a series of impactful pro-social initiatives under the Touch BET umbrella.

ABOUT BET FOUNDATION

The BET Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to raise public awareness to the numerous health-related challenges within African- American communities. Established in 2003, the BET Foundation takes a pioneering step in addressing the prevalence of obesity and related health concerns among African-Americans. Through specifically-tailored initiatives and targeted campaigns, the BET Foundation aims to insure that African Americans live longer and healthier lives. The BET Foundation includes public service announcements (PSAs); targeted programming segments; women's health symposiums and forums; health brochure materials; a dedicated toll-free hotline and website; and a nationwide Healthy BET Fitness Challenge contest to provide the tools and knowledge necessary for communities to develop long lasting healthy lifestyle habits. For more information, please visit www.ahealthybet.com.

ABOUT STATE FARM INSURANCE

State Farm Insurance offers auto, homeowners, and life insurance. It is headquartered in Bloomington, Ill., and has offices throughout the U.S. State Farm is considered one of the largest personal property and casualty insurance companies in the U.S. They employ 78,000 people and provide auto insurance as well as homeowners, non-medical health, and life insurance through more than 16,000 agents. State Farm Bank also offers deposit accounts, CDs, mortgages, auto and home equity loans online, on the phone, and face-to-face in Illinois and Missouri.

ABOUT ALABAMA COOPERATION EXTENSION SYSTEM

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the primary outreach organization for the land-grant mission of Alabama A&M University and Auburn University, delivers research-based educational programs that enable people to improve their quality of life and economic well-being. There vision is to be a world-class educational organization providing real-life solutions to improve the lives of all Alabamians.

ABOUT KODAK

Kodak (NYSE:EK) had sales of $13.3 billion in 2006 and is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers, Businesses, Creative professionals and Healthcare organizations use Kodak's system of digital and traditional products and services; prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; moving or still images; and customized workflow solutions.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: BET Networks

CONTACT: Yvette George, +1-901-679-2916, Ygeorge@comcast.net; Lyntina
Townsend, +1-202-608-2745, lyntina.townsend@bet.net

Web site:

http://www.ahealthybet.com/
http://www.bet.com/

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