Who:

Principal Arnette Wessel will join Humana of Arizona President Mark El-Tawil and project manager Byron Joyner of Humana’s Innovation Center in leading a kick-off of The American Horsepower Challenge for fifth grade students at Squaw Peak Elementary. Students will learn how increased activity will not only improve their health, but also can raise money for their school. The school with the students who take the most steps will be awarded $5,000. Other schools involved in the Phoenix area include Sunnyslope Middle School, Desert Arroyo Middle School and Sonoran Trails Middle School.

When:

9 a.m., Thursday, April 23

What:

The Humana Foundation, the philanthropic arm of health-benefits company Humana Inc., announces The American Horsepower Challenge to encourage school-aged children across the country to become more physically active. The Challenge engages 20 members of Congress and 1,500 to 2,000 fifth and sixth graders from across the country in a Web-based game where each student creates a cartoon horse avatar and powers it by taking steps in the real world.

Members of Congress (listed below) have vowed their support and will participate in The American Horsepower Challenge with students from their home state or district:

Why:

Childhood obesity is a serious public health crisis in the U.S. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one child in every three is overweight. Childhood obesity carries with it significant economic, academic and health costs. The American Horsepower Challenge is part of a trend known as “exergaming” that incorporates real-world movement into video games to bring an effective, fun solution to a serious issue affecting families across the nation.