National Geographic Kids Magazine Sets Out To Break Guinness World Records® Title For Jumping Jacks

Jumper in Chief’ Michelle Obama to Launch Challenge at White House Jump-Off Event

WASHINGTON — National Geographic Kids magazine and first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign invite kids and families around the world to help break the Guinness World Records® title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period. To participate in the record-breaking attempt, anyone, anywhere just has to do one minute of jumping jacks between 3 p.m. (EST) Oct. 11 and 3 p.m. Oct. 12.

To kick off the challenge, “Jumper in Chief” Michelle Obama and National Geographic Kids are scheduled to lead an event with hundreds of Washington-area children on the White House lawn on Oct. 11 at 3 p.m., when they will do one minute of continuous jumping jacks. This jump-off, which will be reviewed by an official from Guinness World Records, will signal the beginning of the 24-hour challenge. To break the record, more than 20,000 people need to get on their feet and do jumping jacks for one minute during the 24-hour time period. Anyone can join one of many sponsored events, organize their own event or jump by themselves following official Guinness World Records rules. To see the rules as well as jump event locations, documentation forms and other information, visit the NG Kids’ Let’s Jump! website at kids.nationalgeographic.com/lets-jump/.

“Grab your parents, teachers, classmates and friends and help us break the Guinness World Record for jumping jacks,” said Melina Bellows, executive vice president and chief creative officer of National Geographic Books, Kids and Family. “Jumping jacks are fun and can be done almost anywhere. Breaking the record will not only be fun and healthy but will also be something kids and their parents can be proud they accomplished together. So no matter where you are, join our ’Jumper in Chief’ Michelle Obama and jump with us on Oct. 11 or 12!”

The National Geographic Kids Let’s Jump! challenge supports Let’s Move!, the first lady’s initiative to solve the problem of obesity within a generation. Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future through healthy activities and healthy eating.

Team Up for a Healthy America, Jamba Juice’s national grassroots campaign to help raise awareness about the nation’s obesity epidemic, is also partnering with National Geographic Kids to help break the world record. Jamba Juice will host events at select store locations across the country and wrap up the challenge with the official last minute of the 24-hour period. The Jamba Juice “Team Up” campaign is intended to show America how pledging to make simple changes to eat more healthy and become more active can lead to an overall improved lifestyle. People can take an online pledge to jump and help break the record at www.teamupandpledge.com, win prizes and support playground projects for needy schools.

Other supporters of the jumping jacks world record bid include National Geographic Education; the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition; Macerich Malls; National Recreation and Park Association; SparkPeople.com; Let’s Move in School, an American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance initiative; Girl Scouts of the USA; We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)®; and Let’s Move Cities and Towns.

Jumping jack events will be held across the country, along with flash mobs organized by Flash Mob America. People around the world are invited to participate in this global challenge at home, in schools, at camps, at work — anywhere! See kids.nationalgeographic.com/lets-jump/ for details and documentation requirements.

National Geographic Kids magazine has set four Guinness World Records. In August 2009, it collected 33,088 items of denim clothing to set the Guinness World Records title for Most Items of Clothing Collected for Recycling. In July 2008, it set the record for the Longest Chain of Shoes (10,512 shoes that stretched nearly 1.65 miles); in December 2006 the magazine collected 2,304 stuffed animals for the Largest Gathering of Plush Toys; and in November 2004 it set the record for the world’s Longest Line of Footprints — 10,932 prints, measuring almost two miles.

About National Geographic Kids Magazine and Website
National Geographic Kids, an award-winning, photo-driven magazine for 6- to 14-year-olds, empowers its readers by making it fun to learn about the world. Published 10 times a year, National Geographic Kids has a circulation of 1.2 million and is available by subscription in print and on tablets. Its award-winning website (kids.nationalgeographic.com) aims to inspire children to care about the planet and its inhabitants and covers a multitude of topics, including animals, entertainment, science, technology, current events and cultures from around the world.

About Let’s Move!
Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years by giving parents helpful information, fostering environments that support healthy choices, providing healthier foods in our schools, ensuring that every family has access to healthy, affordable food and helping children become more physically active. Let’s Move! believes that everyone has a role to play in reducing childhood obesity, including parents and caregivers, elected officials from all levels of government, schools, health care professionals, faith-based and community-based organizations, and private sector companies.

About Guinness World Records®
Guinness World Records® (www.guinnessworldrecords.com) is the global authority on record-breaking achievements. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records™ book has become one of the biggest-selling copyright titles of all time, selling 120 million copies to date in 22 languages and in more than 100 countries. The internationally renowned brand is now also available across a number of platforms — GWR’s global television shows are watched by 250 million viewers annually; digital media and online record-processing services attract more than 50 million visitors a year; and the live events team annually entertains and inspires 1.5 million people around the world. GWR receives more than 1,000 applications each week and has a specialized team of multi-language record managers and adjudicators who travel the globe to verify official record attempts. GWR also has a commercial division (Guinness World Records Corporate http://corporate.guinnessworldrecords.com/) that offers accessible record-breaking business solutions to other organizations and brands.

About Our Supporting Organizations

Team Up for a Healthy America is Jamba Juice’s national grassroots campaign to generate awareness about the nation’s obesity epidemic. Jamba Juice and its partners in Team Up are encouraging youth and adults alike to pledge to make simple lifestyle changes that can add up to healthier kids and families.

National Geographic Education is responsible for creating and disseminating educational programs for schools, out-of-school settings, and the home. National Geographic Education’s work targets two goals: Geo-literacy, an essential skill for decision-making in 21st century personal, professional and civic life, and Educational Outreach.

The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition educates, engages and empowers all Americans to adopt a healthy lifestyle that includes regular physical activity and good nutrition. The Council, in cooperation with the American Athletic Union, oversees the President’s Challenge program which includes the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA). For more information about the Council, visit www.fitness.gov.

The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people.

Macerich® (NYSE:MAC) is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States. Macerich Malls serve our neighboring communities with one-of-a kind events, which are fun and educational, as well as unique shops and restaurants.

Let’s Move in School, an initiative of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, is urging physical educators, parents, school administrators and policy makers to get involved in bringing quality physical education and physical activity to schools through a comprehensive school physical activity program. Schools can start by registering to support Let’s Move in School and receive periodic updates about the initiative.

Girl Scouts of the USA is the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, with 3.3 million girl and adult members worldwide. Girl Scouting is the leading authority on girls’ healthy development and builds girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place.

SparkPeople.com is America’s largest online weight-loss and fitness community. It is composed of health, fitness, food, family and healthy living websites. SparkPeople’s sites and programs are 100 percent free to help the company fulfill its mission of sparking millions of people to reach their goals.

We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)® is a science-based national education program developed by the National Institutes of Health - a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — designed to help children ages 8-13 stay at a healthy weight through improving food choices, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time.

Let’s Move Cities and Towns engages mayors and other municipal leaders in the campaign to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation by emphasizing the unique ability of communities to solve the challenge locally, and the critical leadership mayors and elected officials can provide to bring communities together and spur action.

Flash Mob America is a nationwide, full-service Flash Mob production company with an extensive community of passionate Flash Mob enthusiasts from all over the country.