| ASSEMBLYMEMBER LORI SALDAÑA 76TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT For Immediate Release: February 24, 2006 Contact: Joe Kocurek Phone: (619) 645-3090 or (619) 818-5834 |
SAN DIEGO – Assembly Member Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego), the American Heart Association, the San Diego Hall of Champions and will present a celebration of women in sports today at Balboa Park’s Hall of Champions.
The event, Striving and Thriving in Sports: Celebrating Female Athletes, will include testimonials of female athletes, ranging from high school basketball players to Olympic medalists. Saldaña and representatives from the San Diego Hall of Champions will also make presentations honoring achievements of local female athletes. Assembly Member Saldaña, who both played and coached women’s sports, said she wanted to highlight the educational and physical benefits Title IX has brought to women since it was signed into law in 1972. “We have dozens of girls and young women attending the event,” Saldaña said. “We hope that hearing the stories female athletes who have gone onto successful careers on and off the field will encourage them to participate in sports and empower them in other aspects of their lives.” Among the speakers slated for the event are Peggy Pico, medical reporter for KNSD TV, Union-Tribune Sportswriter, Nicole Vargas, and 2004 Olympic medalist, Anna Mikelson. In attendance will be World Champion Surfer, Debbie Beacham and San Diego High School’s women’s varsity basketball team. The American Heart Association is co-sponsoring Striving and Thriving in conjunction with their “Go Red for Women” month, which is intended to promote a heart-healthy lifestyle for women. Dr. Robert Stein, Board President of the American Heart Association’s San Diego office said that by making simple, healthy, lifestyle changes, women can reduce their personal risk for heart disease and stroke. “The women being recognized today, like thousands of women across the country, have already made a commitment to healthy living,” Stein said. “Their commitment to taking care of themselves through education, exercise, and a healthy diet, should serve as an example for everyone.” Title IX was signed into law by President Nixon in 1972 with the intention of eliminating gender discrimination in school academics and sports. San Diego Hall of Champions Sports Museum: http://www.sdhoc.com/main/awards/2006som/julystars