Be Active Ambassadors!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 22, 2004

CONTACT: Shellie Pfohl, (919) 765.7172 OR (919) 451.9191

Yamaguchi, Hedican team up with Be Active
North Carolina to promote physical activity

RALEIGH — Kristi Yamaguchi and Bret Hedican, North Carolina’s favorite ice-skating couple, are teaming up with Be Active North Carolina to promote physical activity and wellness across the state.

The famous skating duo, who live in Raleigh with their young daughter, have been named official Be Active Ambassadors.

Yamaguchi, an Olympic Gold Medal figure skater, and Hedican, a star defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes, make an outstanding pairing for Be Active, the state’s leading non-profit devoted to physical activity, health and fitness.

Be Active North Carolina, a nonprofit organization based in Chapel Hill, has programs in all 100 of the state’s counties. The group uses a combination of people, programs and policies to touch lives young and old. Among Be Active’s most successful programs are Be Active Kids, which promotes activity and nutrition for children aged 4 and 5, and Active Steps, which encourages people of all ages to track their daily steps with pedometers and to log those steps online.

Yamaguchi said the relationship with Be Active is a natural.

“We’re athletes, so being active and fit is an enormous part of our professional lives. But Bret and I also recognize the importance of physical activity for all North Carolinians, no matter what they do. It’s all part of developing a healthier lifestyle for all of us. To that end, we’re very much in step with what Be Active North Carolina is trying to do. It’s a great organization and we support them 100 percent,” said Yamaguchi, one of the most popular and successful figure skaters in the history of her sport.

Hedican agreed, adding that he and Yamaguchi are especially concerned about well-publicized increases in childhood obesity.

“It seems like there’s a new study each day telling us our children aren’t healthy, in large part because they’re not getting enough physical activity. If children aren’t healthy, they’re not likely to be healthy as adults. It’s a huge problem that should concern all of us. And of course Kristi and I are parents now, so we’re very attuned to problems facing kids these days,” said Hedican, who has played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League, the past three with the Hurricanes.

Shellie Pfohl, director of Be Active North Carolina, said the group is fortunate to have Yamaguchi and Hedican.

“We’re delighted to have two people of their caliber, both professionally and personally, on our team,” Pfohl said. “Kristi and Bret are absolutely committed to an active lifestyle — and we hope having them on board will encourage other North Carolinians to follow
their lead.”

Be Active North Carolina has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, skyrocketing from a fledgling grassroots organization to become North Carolina’s premier non-profit in its field. The group, which is supported by private donations and grants, operates programs for kids, the elderly and everyone in between. Be Active has programs in place for pre-school children, school-aged children, adults and seniors. In
addition, Be Active North Carolina also operates an increasingly popular workplace program designed to help companies provide health and physical activity benefits for their employees.