Office of the Mayor

Matthew J. Driscoll, Mayor

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Media Center June 16, 2004 Sheri Owens (315) 448-8005

Nickelodeon “Let’s Just Play” Campaign Picks Syracuse

Syracuse, NY- Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll joined representatives from the Syracuse Boys & Girls Clubs of Syracuse and the City of Syracuse Department of Parks, Recreation and Youth Programs to announce that Syracuse has been chosen as one of the cities to participate in Nickelodeon’s Let’s Just Play events.

Nickelodeon’s goal with the Let’s Just Play campaign is to help provide kids with the opportunities to “just play” more often. The City of Syracuse is one of three cities selected nationally for Nickelodeon’s summer events and is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 31, 2004 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at Burnet Park. Their goal is to partner with The City of Syracuse and the Syracuse Boys and Girls Clubs to customize this national movement for local communities.

“Play is the center of everything kids love, and yet, today the combinations of the latch key phenomenon, increased academic pressures, limited community resources and the elimination of after school programs have lead to kids being less active with their leisure time. At Nick, we believe we can affect change in a positive way for kids,” said Cymn Zarghami, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Nickelodeon.

Nickelodeon, which first empowered millions of kids to become volunteers in local communities across the country through its grassroots initiative, THE BIG HELP, now emboldens a new generation of kids to get active and healthy through “Lets Just Play.” In addition to being a multi-media effort including Nickelodeon on-air, online and magazines, Let’s Just Play will have a local community component, Lets Just Play Across America events. The campaign will culminate in a nationally televised prime time event this Fall on Nickelodeon.

1 of 2 Nickelodeon “Let’s Just Play” Campaign Picks Syracuse

Let’s Just Play is about addressing some of the factors that inhibit kids from play and being more active, like the lack of physical activities at school, over scheduling and limited recreational resources. We want to create ways for kids and parents to engage in a more active and playful lifestyle,” said Marva Smalls, Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Nickelodeon. “Our hope is that Lets Just Play will build on the success of The Big Help, and empower kids to recapture the spirit and benefits from active play for themselves, just as the Big Help empowered over 40 million kids pledge to 383 million volunteer to their communities.”

Nickelodeon, through the Let’s Just Play campaign will reinforce the importance of play for kids, encourage schools to extend physical education programs and encourage local government and communities to invest in building recreational facilities and maximize access to local parks and play spaces for kids. The campaign will also encourage parents and other adult influences like coaches to model more positive behavior and connect kids to fun activities and events.

Nickelodeon, now in its 24th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines, music and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 86 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for seven consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

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Event: Nickelodeon’s Let’s Just Play SYRACUSE Date: Saturday, July 31st, 2004 Place: Burnet Park (near the Ice Rink & Pool) Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 p.m.

203 City Hall – Syracuse, N.Y. 13202-1473 – (315) 448-8005 – Fax: 448-8067