Nike Announces $50 Million Commitment to Get Kids Moving

NIKE, Inc. President and CEO Mark Parker joined First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in Chicago today for a special announcement.

words // Brennan Hiro Williams

NIKE, Inc. President and CEO Mark Parker joined First Lady Michelle Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan in Chicago today to announce Nike's new commitment to "get kids moving," a five-year, $50 million investment meant to increase the physical activity of children in U.S. schools and communities.

The commitment is part of Mrs. Obama's Let's Move! Active Schools partnership, a public-private collaboration expanding on the First Lady's Let's Move! program. Let's Move! Active Schools seeks to combat childhood obesity by bringing physical activity programs back to America's schools, with an ambitious goal of engaging 50,000 schools over the next five years. With its $50 million donation, Nike is the largest private contributor to the program.


“Today’s announcement is part of Nike’s long-term commitment to help our nation’s youth lead more active and healthy lives. All kids deserve a chance to realize their full potential and we believe creating active schools will help kids do better in school and most importantly in life.”


- NIKE, Inc. President and CEO Mark Parker

A team of Nike athletes, including Bo Jackson, Serena Williams, Allyson Felix, Paul Rodriguez, Gabby Douglas, Ashton Eaton, Sarah Reinertsen and Colin Kaepernick, joined in on the announcement, exercising and dancing with the nearly 6000 Chicago schoolchildren in attendance.