San Francisco 49ers Host Kids In The Kitchen Event For East Palo Alto Youth
49ers Partner with Junior League Palo Alto Mid-Peninsula to Teach the Importance of Healthy Eating and Physical Fitness

SANTA CLARA, CA, April 22, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- On Wednesday, April 21, the San Francisco 49ers, in collaboration with the Junior League of Palo Alto Mid-Peninsula, will be demonstrating healthy cooking and the importance of physical fitness at the Kids in the Kitchen event at the 49ers Academy from 2-6 p.m. 49ers owner Dr. John York and his daughters, Jenna and Mara York, along with current players Kentwan Balmer, Khalif Mitchell and Ricky Jean Francois will be in attendance to assist with a football camp and cooking demonstrations.

"The 49ers are committed to helping youth understand the importance of being active for at least 60 minutes a day, as part of the NFL's Play60 program," said 49ers Director of Community Relations and 49ers Foundation Joanne Pasternack. "Kids in the Kitchen is a great way to show youth how to be health conscious, and coupled with one of our youth football camps, it will help the youth stay active as well."

The players will be serving as coaches for a Gatorade Junior Training Camp and Dr. York's daughters Jenna and Mara, will be serving as "sous chefs" for the cooking demonstrations with Alessandro Cartumini from the Four Seasons East Palo Alto.

The event will include a cooking class for students in Kindergarten through fifth grade from 2-3:15 p.m., a 49ers Junior Gatorade Camp from 3:15-4:15 p.m. and cooking demonstrations from Alessandro and the Yorks 4:15-6 p.m. The event will conclude with the awarding of raffle prizes including a 49ers BMX bike and helmet, fitness and nutrition themed baskets, a skateboard signed by Tony Hawk, and more. Each child will also receive a 49ers reusable lunch bag and goodies.

The goal of the Kids in the Kitchen initiative, which is supported by The Association of Junior Leagues International Inc. and its member Leagues, is to empower youth to make healthy lifestyle choices and help reverse the growth of childhood obesity and its associated health issues.

"Maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle is extremely important for today's youth," said Jan Woolsey, president, Junior League of Palo Alto Mid-Peninsula. "By partnering with the San Francisco 49ers, the Junior League is able to further promote the development, confidence and growth of these children through healthy eating and cooking, and physical fitness."

The event will host approximately 200 youth from both the 49ers Academy and Costano Elementary School, who shares the campus and mission of the 49ers Academy. The 49ers Academy was founded in 1996 to serve 6th, 7th and 8th grade students from East Palo Alto. Defined by educational excellence, the 49ers Academy maximizes the potential of every student by emphasizing self-discipline, respect, and individualized academic attention to help them master core subjects and prepare for high school.

About the San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers, owned by Denise and John York, currently play in the NFC West division and won each Super Bowl contest it entered, earning five Super Bowl trophies including Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV and XXIX. The franchise also has five conference championships and 17 divisional championships and was the first major league professional sports franchise to be based in San Francisco over 60 years ago.

About the Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula
The Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula, Inc. (JLPA-MP) focuses on developing the potential of families through its projects, community grants and public policy advocacy. The JLPA-MP focuses on training a diverse group of women volunteers, with a goal of serving those interested in developing their leadership potential, broadening their skills and effecting positive change in our community. The JLPA-MP serves the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula. For more information please visit http://www.thejuniorleague.org/paloalto.

The JLPA-MP is a part of the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), which consists of 294 Leagues and more than 170,000 members from the USA, Mexico, Canada and Great Britain. For more information, please go to AJLI's website at www.ajli.org.

Press Release Contact Information:

Sara Lee
Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid P
PR Chair
555 Ravenswood Avenue
Menlo Park, CA
USA 94025
Voice: 650-321-5026
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