Healthier Communities Through Nutrition and Play
On a sunny Saturday morning in Atlanta, the Harlem Globetrotters and KABOOM!, a national nonprofit working to end playspace inequity, brought together elementary school students for an interactive event encouraging children and families to think about different ways children and families can have fun and be physically active.
Designed to showcase how play and nutrition together fuel healthier children and communities, this event brought together national and local partners. With KABOOM! and the Harlem Globetrotters at the helm, leaders from across Atlanta united to support youth wellness and community health. The CDC Foundation was pleased to join featured partners, the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, the National Park Trust and Congresswoman Nikema Williams as part of the National Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities, supported in part by more than $10 billion in public-private commitments made from organizations to tackle the challenges of hunger, nutrition and health across the United States, where nearly 34 million people experience hunger or food insecurity.
Since 1996, KABOOM! has partnered with kids and communities to build or improve 17,000+ playspaces and ensure that nearly 12 million kids have access to the crucial benefits and opportunities that playspaces offer.
Our work has shown us that to truly nurture and develop our kids, we must address their social, emotional and physical well-being.
“Our work has shown us that to truly nurture and develop our kids, we must address their social, emotional and physical well-being. Play is vital to their development and gives kids the freedom to embrace the joys of childhood,” said Lysa Ratliff, CEO of KABOOM!
This dynamic play event was designed to highlight the important connection between nutrition and play in creating strong, healthy, happy kids and communities. It was with these outcomes in mind that KABOOM! and the Harlem Globetrotters brought together local and national leaders in support of Atlanta's youth.
While the effects of hunger impact many Americans, that toll disproportionately impacts underserved communities, communities of color, low-income families and rural Americans. Compounding the challenge, those who cannot afford or do not have access to healthy foods face a higher risk of diet-related disease like heart disease and diabetes, some of the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. In the face of such threats, the partnership with KABOOM! comes at a critical time for the health of our nation.
Our work fostering partnerships and initiatives seeking to end hunger across the United States is the foundation of the newly-created Hunger, Nutrition and Health National Action Collaborative, a network of U.S. organizations addressing critical issues like food access and affordability, physical activity, nutrition research and food security research. Drawing on the power of multi-sectoral connection, the collaborative brings together government entities, private businesses, foundations, academic institutions, associations and individuals in the collective fight against hunger and hunger related illness.
Across the field of public health, success is dependent on a comprehensive, collaborative and system-wide approach. The CDC Foundation is proud to play a lead role in convening partners like KABOOM! and the Harlem Globetrotters, providing organizations, like-minded groups and key stakeholders a platform to drive concrete actions and approaches to end hunger and build healthy communities.
