Young People Get Fit2Fly At Shopping Centres

Media Release June 2008

Young People Get Fit2Fly At AMP Capital Shopping Centres

Mid-winter traditionally means forgoing physical activity in favour of hibernation and evenings on the couch. But this year in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch the coldest time of year means activity and adventure, with the launch of the fit2fly campaign in July at AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC). Four AMPCSC will be taking part in the fit2fly campaign: Botany Town Centre (East Auckland), LynnMall Shopping Centre (West Auckland), Bayfair Shopping Centre (Tauranga) and The Palms Shopping Centre (Christchurch). Each Centre has created the campaign with the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD) to encourage children in the community to get active and have fun in the school holidays. The fit2fly campaign will be run in each of the four centres, with a specially-built adventure course for children to try.

The campaign aims to keep young Kiwis active while school is out, and to support FYD, which will receive all the proceeds. From 5 to 20 July, children in Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch are invited to visit their local AMPCSC and take a turn on an adventure course specially constructed by Horizons Unlimited. Entry to the course costs $1.

FYD co-founder Graeme Dingle, himself a keen adventurer and mountaineer, said the foundation was delighted to be working with AMP Capital Shopping Centres, and that the fit2fly campaign would give a valuable boost to FYD programmes. “These programmes help lift the skills, motivations and achievements of young New Zealanders, which in turn delivers wider economic and social benefits to our country.”

Designed with the express purpose of getting young Kiwis active in the school holidays, the fit2fly course incorporates activities such as running through tyres, sliding under cargo nets, balancing on low beams, navigating obstacles, walking the plank and shooting basketball hoops. It’s no Sunday stroll either – if a participant makes a mistake they have to start again while the clock keeps ticking.

FYD is an organisation governing several youth development programmes that have been proven to make a positive difference in the lives of young people. It helps thousands of Kiwis aged 5 to 18 through its Kiwi Can, Stars and Project K programmes, which help children and teenagers develop confidence and skills to set them up for life.

“The fit2fly campaign isn’t about winning,” Jennifer Manning, Senior Centre Manager said. “It’s all about getting children excited about being physically active, by making it fun. AMPCSC is proud to be supporting FYD and working with them on fit2fly – we believe this is an important campaign that will encourage young people to make physical activity a fun, regular part of their lives.”

To add to the excitement there will be daily spot prizes and a grand prize, drawn at the end of the campaign, for one lucky participant.

The grand prize, will be an extreme adventure prize pack, with the winner and a friend being picked up from their school in a helicopter and taken on an extreme adventure day out. The prize will be drawn randomly from the pool of entries, so the more turns a student has on the adventure course the greater their chance of winning.

AMPCSC wants to encourage as many children as possible to have a go on the adventure course, so schools with the highest percentage of entrants will be awarded cash prizes. First prize will be $3,000, second prize $2,000, and third prize $1,000.

The school that is awarded first prize will have an added bonus; they will be invited to nominate a deserving student to go on the extreme adventure day out with a friend.

ENDS

About AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC)
AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC) manages five Centres in New Zealand; LynnMall, Botany Town Centre and Manukau Supa Centre in Auckland, Bayfair Shopping Centre in Tauranga and The Palms in Christchurch. In total there are forty three centres, thirty eight of which are in Australasia.

AMP Capital Shopping Centres (AMPCSC) fits within the Property Division of AMP Capital Investors and provides asset, development and property management expertise to the shopping centres owned and/or managed by AMP Capital Investors’ various property funds and private clients.

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