HopeLab Launches 'Ruckus Nation,' A Competition Seeking Great Ideas to Get Kids Moving

HopeLab Launches 'Ruckus Nation,' A Competition Seeking Great Ideas to Get Kids Moving

September 19, 2007

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ --
How can we begin to reverse the devastating effects of
childhood obesity? Start a movement. HopeLab today
announced the launch of Ruckus Nation, an international
online idea competition to get kids moving. People of all
ages are invited to submit ideas for new products that will
increase physical activity in kids.  More than $300,000 in
prizes will be awarded, including a grand prize of more
than $75,000. 

    ( Logo: 
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070918/DCTU002LOGO-a
            
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070918/DCTU002LOGO-b
)

    Why Raise a Ruckus?

    Research shows that physical activity can help address
poor health outcomes associated with childhood obesity. In
addition, physical activity is associated with better
mental and physical health. With this in mind, the goal of
Ruckus Nation is to find great ideas for fun, engaging new
products that will increase physical activity among middle
school-aged kids (ages 11 to 14).  

    Can a Competition Make a Difference?

    "Ruckus Nation is catalytic. Great ideas will be
transformed into real products that get kids moving,"
said HopeLab President Pat Christen. "Experience tells
us that combining great ideas with top-notch research leads
to innovative solutions."

    HopeLab will develop one or more of the winning ideas
from Ruckus Nation into prototypes that can be tested to
determine their effectiveness. Successful prototypes will
be turned into real products and distributed broadly. 

    Chinwe Onyekere, Program Officer of the Pioneer
Portfolio of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is
co-sponsoring Ruckus Nation, explained, "The Pioneer
Portfolio supports innovative ideas and projects like
Ruckus Nation that may lead to important breakthroughs in
health and health care. This online competition throws the
search wide open for dynamic new products that kids will
like and use to be more physically active." 

    Competition Details

    Competition entry requirements, rules and judging
criteria are available at http://www.ruckusnation.com . 
Prizes will be awarded to contestants in four categories --
middle school, high school, college and other. Participants
(teams of one to six individuals) must register no later
than October 15, 2007; registration is limited to 1,000
teams. Registered contestants must submit their ideas
online no later than November 20, 2007. Entries must be
submitted in English. Semifinalists will be announced in
February 2008; category winners and one grand prize winner
will be announced at an event in March 2008.

    About HopeLab

    HopeLab, founded in 2001 by Pamela Omidyar, is a
non-profit organization committed to combining rigorous
research with innovative solutions to improve the health
and quality of life of young people with chronic illness.
HopeLab introduced its first product, the Re-Mission video
game for adolescents and young adults with cancer, in 2006.
Re-Mission was developed with the input of young people with
cancer and was shown in a randomized, controlled research
trial to improve key health outcomes among young people
with cancer who played the game. HopeLab is now applying
its customer-focused, research-based approach to develop
new interventions for young people suffering from chronic
illness. For more information, visit http://www.hopelab.org
.   

    About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 

    The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the
pressing health and health care issues facing our country.
As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to
improving the health and health care of all Americans, the
Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and
individuals to identify solutions and achieve
comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. The
Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio supports innovative ideas
and projects that may trigger important breakthroughs in
health and health care. Projects in the Pioneer Portfolio
are typically future-oriented and look beyond conventional
thinking to explore solutions at the cutting edge of health
and health care. When it comes to helping Americans lead
healthier lives and get the care they need, the Foundation
expects to make a difference in your lifetime. For more
information, visit http://www.rwjf.org .




    For more information, please contact:
 
     Jamie Shor
     Email: [e-mail]

     Deborah Rephan
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]