To ensure that kids across the country get active and playful, national non-profit KaBOOM! is kicking-off the second annual KaBOOM! Play Days presented by Mott's. KaBOOM! Play Days encourage communities to come together for fun activities and to improve local parks and playgrounds. KaBOOM! Play Days run from September 18 "“ September 26, but event planning starts now.

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play, and one of the ways it does that is through its annual community-hosted KaBOOM! Play Days. Last year, 1,254 communities in every U.S state and on every continent (yes, even Antarctica) hosted a KaBOOM! Play Day. More than 316,000 people participated in events, and afterwards, participants cast more than 197,000 votes for their favorite Play Day.

The KaBOOM! Play Day program is presented by Mott's and made possible by the ongoing philanthropic support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as well as NFL PLAY 60. Operational support for the KaBOOM! Play Day program provided by National Environmental Education Foundation, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Marine Corps Community Services. Together with KaBOOM!, these organizations are working together to sign up thousands of communities to host events that support the importance of play in children’s lives.

Starting today, consumers can visit www.kaboom.org/playday to plan a Play Day in their community. Once there, users will be able to self-organize, recruit volunteers, invite attendees and receive event planning help. The online planner also contains the rules of classic games, such as Kick the Can, Red Rover, Red Light-Green Light, and Four Square, many of which are disappearing from children's lives. The website gives communities everything they need to host a great Play Day. Then, once the events are over, deserving Play Day communities with the best improvement projects will be eligible for $25,000 in grants to help them further improve their local park or playground.

Why are Play Days important?

• Almost 60% of all kids don't have a playground within walking distance of their home. And that number goes up to almost 70% in low-income areas.
• Children today spend less time playing outdoors than any previous generation and are spending an average of four hours a day viewing electronic media.
• Lack of play is directly linked to increased childhood obesity -- one of the main issues facing children today.
• Play enhances children's learning readiness, learning behaviors, and problem- solving skills. They're also happier and better able to get along with others.

By hosting a KaBOOM! Play Day, communities will not only ensure that their children get out and play for an afternoon, but they will help make their local park or playground an inviting place, where families can spend time together for years to come.

About KaBOOM!

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! is a national non-profit organization dedicated to saving play. Through community building, the company is focused on giving every child in America a great place to play within walking distance. Since 1995, KaBOOM! has used its innovative community-build model to bring together business and community interests to construct more than 1,700 new playgrounds, skate parks, sports fields and ice rinks across North America. KaBOOM! also offers a variety of resources, including an online community, free online trainings, grants, publications and the KaBOOM! National Campaign for Play, which includes Playful City USA and Playmakers "“ a national network of individual advocates for play. KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

About Mott's

Mott's, a brand of Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS), is the nation's leading producer of branded apple sauce and apple juice. Since 1842, Mott's has proudly created delicious and healthy products for adults and children. Mott's continues to provide "simple solutions" for health and snacking to meet the needs of today's busy families. Mott's products include a variety of juice and sauce offerings like Mott's Plus, Mott's Natural, Mott's Medleys juices and Mott's for Tots juices. DPS is the leader in flavored beverages, marketing Mott's and 50 other beverage brands throughout North America. More information can be found at www.Motts.com or at www.drpeppersnapple.com.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation advances journalism in the digital age and invests in the vitality of communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Knight Foundation focuses on projects that promote informed, engaged communities and lead to transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

About NFL PLAY 60

In October 2007, the NFL launched PLAY 60, a national youth health and fitness campaign focused on increasing the health and wellness of young fans by encouraging them to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. Designed to tackle childhood obesity, NFL PLAY 60 brings together the NFL's long-standing commitment to health with partners like KaBOOM! In addition to national reach through PSAs and online programs, PLAY 60 is also implemented at the grassroots level through NFL's in-school, after-school and team-based programs.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM! is the national non-profit dedicated to the bold goal of ensuring that all children, particularly the 16 million American children living in poverty, get the active play they need to become healthy and successful adults. KaBOOM! has been a powerful champion for play since its founding in 1996, working with partners to build, improve, and open more than 15,000 playgrounds, engage more than 1,000,000 volunteers and serve more than 6,600,000 children. KaBOOM! creates and catalyzes great places to play; inspires, empowers and leads play advocates; and elevates the societal conversation about the importance of play in children’s lives. For more information, visit kaboom.org/act.

More from KaBOOM!