| June 24, 2005 Anaheim, CA -- Current California governor and former championship bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, officially launched the California Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports with a made-for-television event at Disney's California Adventure theme park.
"Let's make this not only the Golden State, Let's make it the fitness state." -- Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California
"They are going to help us pump you all up and get California in shape," the governor said. "The purpose of this is to promote health and fitness and to promote sports all over the state of California and to make everyone - all 36 million - participate in fitness and sports activities." "Let's make this not only the Golden State," he said. "Let's make it the fitness state." Even though previous governors had fitness councils, the one Schwarzenegger helped launch is a new nonprofit, privately financed organization. Founding director Judith Kieffer said the council had raised $550,000 for this year, mostly from its corporate supporters, American Media Inc., Applied Materials Inc., Blue Cross of California Foundation and Pfizer. She said the council will promote fitness with its Web site, www.ActiveCA.org, and will distribute promotional materials to retail outlets around the state urging Californians to get in shape. "In this era of obesity, we have some real issues and health concerns for our state," she said. "We want to be able to come up with physical activities they can do as part of their normal life." In creating the fitness council, Schwarzenegger is fulfilling a campaign promise to encourage exercise and returning to his roots in physical fitness. Physical Fitness Brought Schwarzenegger to the U.S. | |