Scholastic Announces Grand Prize Winner in Healthy Lifestyles Contest

Posted November 4, 2009

Teamwork.

It's what Joseph Grant, the Grand Prize Winner of Scholastic's "Make it Happen!" essay contest, says keeps him healthy. "Staying Healthy Together" is the title of the first grader's winning essay.

"My mom and I work together as a team to stay healthy. I eat right because my mom shows me how to food shop. We prepare a grocery list together, and she always includes fruits, vegetables for snacks, and we choose poultry and fish instead of red meat," said Joseph in part of his winning essay. "I run and play with my friends, which keeps me fit. TV is a special treat on family night...Mom says too much TV is no good."

"The fact that Joseph's essay echoes the three We Can!™ core messages—eat more nutritiously, increase your physical activity, and limit screen time—is uplifting news since it shows that our program messages are resonating with families across the nation," said Karen Donato, S.M., We Can! program coordinator. "We thank Scholastic and SUBWAY® Restaurants for making this possible by bringing We Can! messages—and news of our curricula and resources—to classrooms, homes and stores from coast to coast."

Working together, We Can!, SUBWAY® Restaurants and Scholastic magazine are spreading program information on how to maintain a healthy weight to millions of Americans through a partnership that made this contest possible. The contest asked parents to have their child tell a personal success story about eating better, staying active, and spending less time in front of the TV or computer.

Joseph's reward includes $5,000 of athletic equipment that will be donated to his school, Pride Christian Academy; a $500 Scholastic gift basket; a $100 SUBWAY® card; and publication of his story online and in the Scholastic Parent & Child magazine.

There were six runners-up, all of whom received the Scholastic gift basket and the $100 Subway card. Two are from Ohio, two from the Deep South (Mississippi and Kentucky), one from the West Coast (California) and another, like Joseph, from Pennsylvania.

To obtain a copy of Scholastic's We Can! poster and other materials, cut and paste this link into your Web browser: www.scholastic.com/wecan.