NEW YORK, NY—The Century Council, a national not-for-profit funded by distillers and dedicated to eliminating drunk driving and underage drinking, attended the adidas Grand Prix to encourage kids to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. The attendance of The Century Council and its Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix program at the adidas Grand Prix is the latest stop in its effort to reach youth across the country.

The adidas Grand Prix hosted Ask, Listen, Learn inside the Icahn Stadium during the track meet to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent underage drinking among the youth in attendance. The Ask, Listen, Learn program included information for parents on ways to discuss the dangers of underage drinking with their teens. For kids, Ask, Listen, Learn offered a fun and interactive, physical fitness game to play. Kids customized their on-screen character and chose from four, multi-level activities which challenged them to answer questions on how alcohol affects their body, the basics of good nutrition, and the impact of making healthy decisions.

“Teaching the youth of America about the perils of underage drinking and the importance of a healthy lifestyle is incredibly important,” said Ralph Blackman, President and CEO of The Century Council. “Teaming up with The adidas Grand Prix allows The Century Council to encourage New York City area youth to say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking. The athletes that participate in track and field clearly understand how essential saying ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle is to their own success. By attending this event, we are able to reach a broader and more targeted audience to encourage kids to follow in an athlete’s footsteps of success,” added Blackman.

Tyson Gay, who participated in the adidas Grand Prix and is a spokesperson for The Century Council, added “The decisions you make when you are young impact where you will end up in the future. Some decisions I made off the track when I was a kid have helped me with success on the track. Healthy habits and positive choices start during childhood which is why I have partnered with The Century Council.

Ask, Listen, Learn
Ask, Listen, Learn was developed by The Century Council in 2003 alongside a team of educators and psychologists specializing in middle school-aged students to educate parents and kids about the dangers of underage drinking. In partnership with PE4life, The Century Council created an interactive game that builds on the existing Ask, Listen, Learn program. The activity is based on recent research by Harvard Medical School’s Dr. John Ratey showing that for a person’s brain to function at its peak, the body needs to move. The “game” teaches kids about the health consequences of underage drinking and encourages kids to “say ‘YES’ to a healthy lifestyle and ‘NO’ to underage drinking.” Also online, Ask, Listen, Learn’s website, http://www.asklistenlearn.com/, encourages kids to pledge to make healthy choices. The website features “SuperStars” including Apolo Anton Ohno who send positive messages to kids about staying fit and healthy and explains why elite athletes say “no” to underage drinking. The website also provides parents with information and strategies to help jumpstart the conversation about the dangers of underage drinking.

The Century Council
The Century Council, which has been at the front of the fight against drunk driving and underage drinking since its inception 20 years ago, is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking and is funded by the following distillers: Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc.; Brown-Forman; Constellation Brands, Inc.; DIAGEO; Hood River Distillers, Inc.; Pernod Ricard USA; and Sidney Frank Importing Co., Inc. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia and chaired by The Hon. Susan Molinari, The Century Council is a leader in the fight to eliminate drunk driving and underage drinking and promotes responsible decision making regarding beverage alcohol. The Century Council develops and implements innovative programs and public awareness campaigns and promotes action through strategic partnerships. Established in 1991, The Century Council’s initiatives are highlighted on its website at http://www.centurycouncil.org/.