Success begins at home. To ignite The Coca-Cola Company’s (NYSE: KO) global commitment to fight the obesity epidemic, The Coca-Cola Foundation announced grants to organizations across the Company’s home state. These grants will provide increased access to community-oriented physical activity and nutrition education programs.

“Together with Governor Nathan Deal and Mayor Kasim Reed, we are inspiring our hometown of Atlanta and home state of Georgia to be active,” said Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company. “Golden triangle efforts like these and others in Colorado, Chicago and San Antonio amplify the active role we must all take in helping to tackle the complex issue of obesity. We can only succeed with the collaboration of local governments, community leaders and other willing partners.”

The Foundation has pledged $3.8 million to support statewide initiatives to help get people active and enjoy a balanced lifestyle, including Georgia SHAPE and Walk Georgia initiatives. Georgia SHAPE, Governor Deal’s strategy to address childhood obesity, is using the additional funding to increase the time children are active before, during and after school. The program will also include nutrition education curricula for Georgia schools.

Walk Georgia was created by The University of Georgia’s Cooperative Extension Service.  This initiative focuses on community-oriented physical activity programs customized by community members. Participants can engage in a variety of activities such as dancing, cycling and gardening and convert those actions into steps. Those steps are converted into miles. As participants accumulate miles, they virtually move across a map of the state, viewing fun facts about each county visited and learning new ways to improve health. 

“One of our strategic goals for the state is to reduce childhood obesity and encourage healthy lifestyles through preventive care, disease care and early intervention,” said Governor Deal. “Working with Coca-Cola and others to strengthen programs such as Georgia SHAPE and Walk Georgia gives Georgians of all ages and abilities more opportunities to become physically active.”

A $1 million grant to the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta supports the City of Atlanta’s Centers of Hope program. The program, which also serves at-risk youth, brings physical activity, leadership development, nutrition education and academic enrichment to almost 2,000 young Atlantans. Through the grant, the program will expand from its two pilot locations to 10 of the City’s recreation centers. The initiative has a multi-generational strategy, offering additional resources for parents to receive their GED certification, along with parenting and nutrition education workshops.

“Investing in Atlanta’s youth through programs designed to teach them about the importance of wellness and physical fitness in a safe, structured learning environment is one of my top priorities,” said Mayor Kasim Reed. "This generous grant to support the Centers of Hope enables the City of Atlanta to expand its successful pilot program at the Thomasville and Adamsville Recreation Centers into a sustainable, community-based initiative for young people."

Additional Georgia grant recipients include:

• The PATH Foundation, Make the Connection Campaign, $500,000
• YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta and its branches, Empowering Healthy Living, $75,000
• Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, Healthy Atlanta BeltLine, $100,000
• Piedmont Park, Kids Get Active, $30,000
• Soccer In The Streets, Expanded Opportunities, $75,000
• Ryan Cameron Foundation, Healthy Lifestyle, $25,000

Earlier today, The Coca-Cola Company announced four global strategic business actions across the more than 200 countries in which it operates to help fight the obesity epidemic:

• Offer low- or no-calorie beverage options in every market;
• Provide transparent nutrition information, featuring calories on the front of all of our packages
• Help get people moving by supporting physical activity programs in every country where we do business
• Market responsibly, including no advertising to children under 12 anywhere in the world

Coca-Cola continues to make the health of the communities in which it operates a priority. The Company’s global actions and commitments to fight obesity demonstrate its resolve to bring people together for good. Through collaborative partnerships and programs, Coca-Cola is delivering more beverage choices, calorie information and physical activity opportunities than ever before. To learn more visit www.coke.com/comingtogether.

About the State of Georgia
For more information about the state of Georgia, please visit georgia.gov. Follow GeorgiaGov on Facebook and Twitter @georgiagov. For additional information about the Office of the Governor, please visit gov.georgia.gov. Follow Governor Nathan Deal on Facebook and Twitter @GovernorDeal.

About the City of Atlanta
For more information about the City of Atlanta, please visit www.atlantaga.gov or watch City Channel 26. Follow the City of Atlanta on Facebook and Twitter @City_of_Atlanta. Follow Mayor Reed on Facebook and Twitter @KasimReed.

About The Coca-Cola Foundation
Since its inception, The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded more than $500 million to support global sustainable community initiatives, including water stewardship, community recycling, active healthy living, and education. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please go to www.coca-colacompany.com/our-company/the-coca-cola-foundation.

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, our Company’s portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com.

NOTE TO EDITORS:
Visuals and footage to accompany this release can be viewed at: www.coca-colacompany.com/press-center/press-releases/coming-together-press-kit.

The Coca-Cola Foundation

The Coca-Cola Foundation

Since its inception, The Coca-Cola Foundation has donated more than $355 million to community projects and initiatives across the globe. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please go to http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/foundation_coke.html

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