Faulkner, Markowitz, Gordon

Faulkner, Gordon, Quinn       (L-R) Angela Severiano, Noah Katz, Lou Gordon, Lockie Andrews, Al Smith IV, Rev. Faulkner

(Brooklyn, NY) July 18, 2012 – Catalyst Cares, a charitable organization that promotes social mobility in vulnerable New York City communities through anti-obesity initiatives, today launched its second health and wellness campaign, Let’s Move! Brooklyn. The launch event, entitled “Building a Healthy Brooklyn” was held at Brooklyn Borough Hall and attracted 150 attendees, as well as elected officials, from across the five boroughs.

Let’s Move! Brooklyn, inspired by and launched in conjunction with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, is a nutrition and active living anti-obesity campaign working to erase the food desert status and decrease the obesity rate in Central Brooklyn by 3 percentage points in 3 years. “Our mission is to educate and inspire children and their parents to make healthier dietary, fitness and lifestyle choices through a series of age-appropriate programs, town hall meetings, and advocacy initiatives,” stated Lockie Andrews, Founder of Catalyst Cares and Let’s Move! Brooklyn.

“We are pleased to participate with Let’s Move Brooklyn in its battling obesity program and believe they can be a strong component of the BALCONY Diabetes Prevention Program,” stated BALCONY Director Lou Gordon, who was joined by Reverend Michel Faulkner, President of the Institute for Leadership and a key member in the BALCONY Diabetes effort.

“I am thrilled to be here to support and champion the cause of Let’s Move! Brooklyn,” said New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “This organization’s mission speaks directly to our city’s obesity epidemic and together we will all fight to find solutions that will improve the health and wellness of all New Yorkers, especially for our residents in low income communities.”

“There is simply no excuse for Brooklynites not getting enough healthy, nourishing meals or access to recreation and exercise,” added Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “My office has long advocated for better health through initiatives such as Lighten Up Brooklyn and Take Your Man to the Doctor, and fights for food justice, supermarkets, and fresh, nutritious foods in our most underserved neighborhoods. Brooklyn Borough Hall is very proud to sponsor and host Let’s Move! Brooklyn’s Building a Healthy Brooklyn, and I applaud First Lady Michelle Obama and Catalyst Cares for bringing together government and the communities we serve to develop creative ideas to address this growing crisis.”

Added Council Member Letitia James, “Thank you ‘Let’s Move! Brooklyn’ for educating New Yorkers on how to make the healthy choices. I am pleased to see the expansion of farmers markets in my district that take EBT and other food benefits. This provides communities quality and affordable fresh produce, making healthy choices easier.”

Building on the success of Catalyst Cares first healthy food access campaign, The Healthy Retail Task Force, Let’s Move! Brooklyn is committed to bringing together community stakeholders in the health, nutrition, community development and active living fields, along with key government officials and foundations.

“Given our early success addressing supply side issues with the remodel of 4 new supermarkets in Central Brooklyn, I felt it was time to prime consumer demand for fresh and healthy foods. I launched Let’s Move! Brooklyn to promote awareness about eating and living healthy through a collaborative network of health and wellness organizations with deep roots in Brooklyn”, stated Lockie Andrews, founder of Catalyst Cares.

2012 PRELIMINARY CALENDAR OF LETS’ MOVE! BROOKLYN EVENTS
• Let’s Move! Brooklyn “Building a Healthy Brooklyn” Summit (July 2012)
• Brooklyn Alliance for Safer Streets (BASS) launches Bed‐Stuy Healthy Families on the Move (Summer 2012)
• Brooklyn Bridge “Get Fit” Health Walk to kick-off Wholesome Wave’s NYC Gets Fresh! Farm-to-Table Restaurant Week (8/19-8/26)
• Kiddie 1K Run – Restoration 10K (Fall 2012)
• Art-Based Youth Nutrition Education Classes (Fall 2012)
• Winter Indoor Sports (Winter 2012)

-30-