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News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343

STATEMENT BY TOMMY G. THOMPSON
Secretary Of Health and Human Services
Regarding the Launch of the "I Can Do It, You Can Do It!" Initiative

I congratulate and offer thanks to the HHS Office on Disability, as well as the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and all the participating organizations, on the launch of a new effort to include young people with disabilities in our nationwide effort to get America fit and healthy.

When we talk about physical activity and healthy nutrition, it's too easy to overlook the needs of people with disabilities. We may tend to overlook not that people with disabilities are at higher risk for the conditions that can result from inactivity, and we may even overlook the reality that people with disabilities can be extremely able in participating in activities that are as challenging, and even more challenging, than the ones that are more familiar to us.

We need to reach out to people with disabilities, and especially to the young, to develop lifetime habits of activity and healthy nutrition. We want to make people with disabilities aware of the President's Challenge awards program and welcome them to participate. The National Initiative on Physical Fitness for Children and Youth with Disabilities will do just that. Its underlying concept of bringing together physical activity and nutrition mentors with young people is a challenging concept that will require broad participation and ongoing energy and enthusiasm. I am pleased that Dr. Margaret Giannini of our Office on Disability, working with Melissa Johnson of the President's Council and the leaders of some 55 different organizations, have joined forces to launch this crusade.

Additional information on this new effort is available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2004pres/20040519.html

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Last Revised: May 27, 2004

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