Just 13-years old, the recent 8th grade graduate Myia has founded her own non-profit community organization; received national sports recognitions; accepted numerous community awards; and excelled academically.
The health of America's youth – particularly girls in the critical developmental
ages of 8 to 18 – is in grave danger. Inactive girls face critical health
risks and social problems including obesity, heart disease, smoking, drug &
alcohol use, teen pregnancy and depression. GoGirlGo! is a national campaign
that the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) established to address these issues
and to get one million girls moving, particularly those in underserved communities.
In an effort to inspire Bay Area teen girls to get healthy through physical
activity and sports participation, MYIA, Inc. (Multicultural Youth-in-Action)
will host GoGirlGo! Oakland from 3:00 until 6:00 p.m., Sunday, August 7, 2005
at Barnes & Noble Booksellers Jack London Square, 98 Broadway, Oakland,
CA.
The event"s electrifying atmosphere will encompass music, book signings,
raffles and appearances by local athletes and other celebrities. Among the afternoon"s
special guests will be Miss Black California USA 2005 and Miss Black USA 2005
pageant contestant Rachelle Cain; journalist and Oscar, Emmy and Sundance Award-winning
filmmaker ("When the Storm Came") Shilpi Gupta; and entrepreneur,
motivational speaker and author ("1001 Reasons to Think Positive")
Ella Patterson. The festival-like affair will include entertainment by Bay Area
vocalists Shari-Bennett Jackson and Khadia Davidson, rapper M C Underdogg and
more.
There will be exciting events and activities for youth and adults both inside
of Barnes & Noble and on the adjoining patio where MYIA, Inc. representatives
will encourage adults to pledge to get the girls in their lives moving. GoGirlGo!
Oakland is supported by local Bay Area sponsors Barnes & Noble Booksellers,
CityFlight Media Network and ClearChannel San Francisco, and national sponsors
of the Women"s Sports Foundation and GoGirlGo! Advanta, Gatorade, Moving
Comfort and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Interested corporate, in-kind and media
sponsors are invited to contact Herb Jones at email protected from spam bots
or 707-301-6302.
According to a 2004 Women's Sports Foundation report, "... girls do not
have enough encouragement or opportunity to participate in sports and fitness
activities. Nearly one out of every two high school boys plays sports, while
only one in three high school girls participates."
Also noted in the WSF report, "Economic inequalities exert powerful influences
on health and illness. Not all girls have the same sports and fitness opportunities
due to the economic circumstances of their families, schools, and communities."
Some of the reports findings suggest the fitness and athletic experiences of
poor girls and many girls of color are often mediated by poverty and racial
discrimination.
Myia commented, "I am honored that the Women"s Sports Foundation
recognized me as "California 2004 SportsGirl of the Year." She continued,
"And as representative for the Women"s Sports Foundation"s GoGirlGo!
National Outreach Campaign, I am both proud and excited that MYIA, Inc. will
be a major participant this year in the Foundation's national call-to-action
to get one million girls moving, and make physical activity part of their lives."
National corporate sponsors of the Women"s Sports Foundation Advanta,
Gatorade, Moving Comfort and the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company are key supporters
in the effort, with each company targeting a different age segment to get girls
and adults involved in the GoGirlGo! Initiative.
ABOUT MYIA, INC. (Multicultural Youth-in-Action)
Founded by then 10-year-old Myia Jones, MYIA, Inc. is a non-profit community
organization formed to develop community service activities that encourage young
people to become intimately involved with positive societal events from which
participants may learn leadership and citizenship life skills.
The organization's 13-year-old visionary and president was a top-five finalist
for "National 2004 SportsGirl of the Year." Additionally, Wrigley
and the Women"s Sports Foundation named Myia "California 2004 SportsGirl
of the Year." Myia is currently a representative for the Women"s Sports
Foundation GoGirlGo! National Outreach Campaign, which seeks to get one million
girls to improve their physical and emotional health through sports participation.
Myia was recently named among the "10 Most Influential African Americans
in the Bay Area" by CityFlight Media Network and State Farm Insurance.
In addition to her community work and sports activities, the highly awarded
teen also excels academically. MYIA, Inc. is located in Vacaville, CA. For more
information about Myia Jones and MYIA, Inc., please call (707) 301-6382.
ABOUT THE WOMEN'S SPORT FOUNDATION
Founded in 1974 by Billie Jean King, the Women"s Sports Foundation is
a national charitable educational organization seeking to advance the lives
of girls and women through sports and physical activity. The Foundation"s
Participation, Education, Advocacy, Research and Leadership programs are made
possible by gifts from individuals, foundations and corporations.
The purpose of the Women"s Sports Foundation's GoGirlGo! Grant and Educational
Program is to provide financial assistance ($2.6 million in grants) to sports
and physical activity programs seeking to add new or expanded program participation
opportunities for an under-served population of girls, particularly economically
disadvantaged girls and/or girls from populations with high incidences of health-risk
behaviors. For further information about the national GoGirlGo! program, please
visit www.GoGirlGo.com.
The 501(c)(3) Foundation serves as a center for collecting and sharing information
on girls and women in sports and physical activity. The Women"s Sports
Foundation also produces quality academic research on the psychological, social
and physiological dimensions of sports and physical activity in the lives of
girls and women. The Foundation is located in Nassau County, N.Y. For more information,
please call the Foundation at (800) 227-3988 or visit www.WomensSportsFoundation.org
or AOL Keyword: WSF.
