Brooklyn Borough President

BOROUGH PRESIDENT LAUNCHES LIGHTEN UP BROOKLYN 2003 FITNESS FOREVER CAMPAIGN

Photograph by Kathryn Kirk
	In photo: Borough President Markowitz working out with his official Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003 Borough Hall trainer Darren Taylor.

Borough President Marty Markowitz launched Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003 today by becoming the Everyman of Exercise. The theme of this year’s campaign, which will run throughout the month of June, is Fitness Forever. The goal is to find the exercise activity that best suits your needs and, just like brushing your teeth, make it part of your everyday life. He began that process this morning by working out with a number of unique and interesting exercise activities. Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003 is emphasizing long term results, not just short term weight loss.

“We did a great job last year, but the big question is did we keep it off? Some Brooklynites have stayed nice and svelte, but many, like yours truly, have gained some of it back,” Borough President Markowitz said. “I’m no gym rat, I do not have a favorite exercise and I love sampling all of Brooklyn’s tremendous cuisine. But I think this makes me a lot like a lot of you. It is not easy for many of us to maintain a healthy weight, but we all know that being overweight can cause serious problems. Brooklynites can do anything when we put our minds to it. Let’s find the fitness activities that best suit our lifestyles, so Brooklyn can lighten up and tighten up together!”

Throughout June, Brooklynites can join Borough President Markowitz in trying all kinds of fitness activities and exercise routines in almost 20 beautiful Brooklyn parks all across our borough on weekends, thanks to all of the help from NYC Parks & Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Julius Spiegel. There will also be special fitness events scheduled throughout the month. The exercise menu will include aerobics, pilates, canoeing, dancing, walking, running, bicycling and many other events all geared towards getting Brooklynites into the habit of regularly exercising. They will be led by instructors and personal trainers from 25 Brooklyn gyms. The Borough President is calling for lunchtime to be walk time. You can power walk every Wednesday at Noon from Brooklyn Borough Hall. Lighten up Brooklyn 2003 will culminate at the Coney Island Boardwalk on June 29th for the Coney Island Fitness Beach Boot Camp. All classes are free of charge.

Everyone who shows their Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003 card at a Modell’s store gets 10% off on purchases during the month of June. Take your card into any Bally Total Fitness Club in Brooklyn and get a free one month membership. As an extra incentive – everyone who establishes a regular PATTERN OF PARTICIPATION, by attending at least 10 exercise activities throughout the month, can enter into a raffle to win some incredible prizes! As soon as you have completed 10 activities, you may drop it off or mail to us by Noon on June 30th to:

Brooklyn Borough Hall - Attn: Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003
209 Joralemon Street – Suite 330
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Borough President Markowitz has also been challenged to an interesting wager. If he tries more of the Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003 official activities and puts in more certified exercise time in June than Brad Korn, Corporate Director of Community Affairs for Continuum Health Partners, Inc., Camp Brooklyn will receive a $10,000 donation from Continuum so more deserving Brooklyn kids can enjoy two weeks at a sleep-away camp. Even if he puts in more exercise time than Borough President Markowitz, Brooklyn still wins because Camp Brooklyn will receive a $5,000 contribution.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control reported that nearly 21% of American adults are obese. More than 44 million Americans are considered obese, which is a 74% increase since 1991. Obesity often leads to diabetes, which is growing at an alarming rate in New York City. According to the NYC Department of Public Health, diabetes has doubled to nearly 8% of New York City adults in the last eight years. Exercising just 30 minutes a day can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 60%.

Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003 is sponsored by Modell’s Sporting Goods, Marriott New York at the Brooklyn Bridge, Affinity Health Plan, GHI, HealthPlus and JetBlue Airways.

A special thanks to Long Island College Hospital – Continuum Health Partners, Inc. and NYC Department of Parks & Recreation - Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Julius Spiegel.

The complete Lighten Up Brooklyn 2003 schedule of events is available at www.brooklyn-usa.org or by calling 718-802-3875.