Reebok Canada Partners with Public Health Agency of Canada and Canadian Football League to Provide BOKS to Elementary School Students in Canada

Reebok Canada announces a partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Football League (CFL) to expand and enhance physical activity in Canadian elementary schools through BOKS (Build Our Kids’ Success). With a goal to enlist more than 450 schools in the next five years, BOKS, a free morning physical activity program, will launch in 10 schools this September, serving more than 400 kids in kindergarten through fifth grade. An initiative of Reebok and the Reebok Canada Fitness Foundation, BOKS is designed to get kids’ bodies moving in the morning and their brains ready for a day of learning.

BOKS aims to help improve kids’ academic performance and overall health through physical activity and nutritional knowledge. The program reinforces the Public Health Agency of Canada’s commitment to help all students meet the medically recommended goal of 60 minutes of physical activity every day. As part of the agreement, the Public Health Agency of Canada is providing funding that will go to hiring and training BOKS staff, marketing, promotion, research and start-up equipment for schools throughout Canada.

“The BOKS program is an exciting way for younger Canadians to increase their physically activity levels, while also boosting their positive mental and social health so that they are more confident and ready to learn when the school day begins,” said The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Health. “We are proud to be working with Reebok and the CFL to bring this program to Canada. Innovative partnerships like this are an excellent example of how all sectors of society are working together to help our children and youth adopt active and healthy lifestyles.”

Additionally, the CFL, which has been actively involved in Canadian communities throughout its rich history, will help raise awareness of BOKS. The CFL will provide marketing support ranging from digital, social and in-stadium assets and activations. Additionally, its players will make visits to participating schools to help students live a healthy lifestyle and excite them to get active.

“The health and wellness of our youth is an important issue facing our country today,” said CFL Commissioner Mark Cohon. “The game of football and sports in general can play an important role in promoting physical activity in children. We are proud to partner with Reebok on this very important initiative and look forward to our teams and players being involved in getting our young Canadians physically active and having fun. Together, we can have a real positive impact on our youth in our communities.”

BOKS was started by Kathleen Tullie and a group of moms in 2009 who were inspired by Dr. John Ratey’s book Spark, which provides compelling evidence that physical activity will supercharge mental circuits to beat stress, sharpen thinking and enhance memory in kids. Run by community volunteers, including moms, dads, teachers and anyone passionate about getting kids active, BOKS provides free training, curriculum and support for those interested in bringing the program to their school. BOKS is a 45-minute session and runs a minimum of twice a week at school. A typical BOKS class includes warm up, a running related activity, skill of the week (i.e sit-ups), a fun game, a cool down period and a BOKS nutritional bit before the students are transitioned off to their classes. Kathleen Tullie, states unequivocally that the reason for the program’s success is a perfect combination of passion from parents, educators and school staff that have the motivation to make a difference in children’s lives.

“We are very proud to launch the BOKS program in Canada and couldn’t be more pleased with our partnerships with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Football League,” says Michael Rossi, President of the adidas Group Canada, parent company of Reebok Canada. “The potential for growth throughout the country is endless. With the support of our partners, we plan to bring BOKS to as many schools as possible, empowering kids, staff, and entire communities to make physical activity a part of their daily routines for life.”

“We are extremely excited to launch BOKS in Canada, especially as we continue to expand worldwide,” said Kathleen Tullie, BOKS founder and director of social responsibility Reebok U.S. “The implementation of BOKS represents Canada’s commitment to helping kids live a healthier lifestyle. BOKS can have a positive impact on classroom performance, behaviour and overall health, and the opportunity for growth in Canada is tremendous. Collectively we need to take action and reverse the physical inactivity epidemic we are currently experiencing.”

For more information about BOKS, visit www.bokskids.org, the BOKS Facebook page or the BOKS Twitter handle.

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