Charlotte, NC, December 15, 2005 — Please join us December 15th from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Sandra and Leon Levine Jewish Community Center as we celebrate another successful session of Operation Jump-start.  Twenty teens from across Charlotte will receive certificates recognizing their accomplishments during the 7-week program.  We'll also present them with a special gift from the Charlotte Bobcats:  tickets to an upcoming home game.

Many of the teens who participated in Session 2 come from under-served areas of Charlotte.  Their tuition, transportation and supplies were funded by local businesses like Superior Fitness Systems (this session's title sponsor).  This organization and the other sponsors listed below have witnessed the impact OJS can have on a teenager's total body wellness and they support us in our goal to roll it out to schools and recreational facilities across the Carolinas.  Please help us get the word out about this remarkable teen empowerment program.

Program overview:

Operation Jump-Start targets middle school students between 10 and 15 years old and is open to the public.  Scholarships and transportation are available for those in need thanks to the support of area businesses and the JCC.

The Operation Jump-Start curriculum was developed by CWC members who are experts in nutrition, physical and mental health, and fitness.  It is based on a basketball theme called “S.L.A.M.-Dunk Wellness ^TM.”  S.L.A.M. is an acronym for each aspect of a person’s life:  Spirit, Looks, Actions and Mind. 

At the first OJS meeting, each teen is given a 50-page “Playbook” outlining guidelines for “S.L.A.M.-Dunk Wellness” through proper nutrition, exercise and goal-setting.  Participants also get a journal for recording their daily food intake, exercise, feelings and energy level.  This helps them understand the connection between mood, food and exercise.  The journal has a section for listing their weekly goals and at the end of the week, measuring their success.  Experts are on hand at the beginning of every OJS session to review these journals and provide one-on-one counseling as needed.

Each week, the teens are exposed to a different form of exercise such as yoga and stretching, weight lifting and weight resistance training, basketball drills, athletic conditioning, kickboxing and swimming.  Following their weekly workout, facilitators coach the teens in small groups on nutrition, goal setting and self-empowerment.  During this open forum discussion, they enjoy a healthy snack and learn how to make the snack at home.

Parents are given a “S.L.A.M.-Dunk Wellness Cheerleaders Guide” at the beginning of OJS so they can learn to support their teen’s new wellness program.  During the final session, parents are invited to join the teens at a wrap-up party where certificates of completion are handed out.  Teens are encouraged to choose a sport or exercise program they liked in OJS and sign up for ongoing classes in their neighborhoods.  OJS facilitators will assist them in making connections and enrolling.

Operation Jump-Start’s lead facilitator is CWC founder, Terrie Reeves, a fitness workshop presenter and trainer with a diverse background in dance, aerobics, martial arts and yoga.  Terrie hosts a weekly wellness feature on WSOC-TV and WAXN-TV called Wellness Wednesday.  She has appeared in numerous national fitness infomercials and has produced seven fitness videos through her wellness company EnergyQuest.

The host facility for the program, the Sandra and Leon Levine Jewish Community Center, is a broad-based agency located on the 54-acre Shalom Park campus in southeast Charlotte.  The center is responsible for the development and coordination of a variety of cultural, social, educational and recreational programs and services that are open to the public.

If you have questions regarding the program, please contact Terrie Reeves at terrie@wellnesscoalition.com; or Kay Lewis at kay@wellnesscoalition.com. Information about the program is also available online at www.wellnesscoalition.com.

The Levine Jewish Community Center is located at 5007 Providence Road, Charlotte.  Call 704-366-5007 for directions.

CWC would like to thank the following sponsors for their continuing support of Operation Jump-Start:

3-A-Day of Dairy Campaign
Charlotte Fitness Equipment
Diamond Springs
Just Workout
Sandra and Leon Levine Jewish Community Center
Pustaver Chiropractic Care
Modry Design Studio
Rose Limousine and Transportation, Ltd.
Sharper Images
Jessica Stadtmauer, ND
Primary PhysicianCare
Smoothie King
Superior Fitness Systems
Thunder Road Brandworks, Inc.