Join us on Saturday, March 2 in NYC for an inspirational gathering with amazing moms, influential bloggers, award-winning filmmakers, and fabulous MomsRising members and staff! (It's free and kids are welcome too!)

We'll be talking about Food Power! -- what moms, dads, bloggers, and community activists can do to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Come to build your skills to take action around this critically-important issue. We’re bringing together with experts and bloggers working on nutrition and childhood obesity to:

• Learn the latest scoop about school foods, food marketing to kids, breastfeeding, and children’s access to health care.
• Build powerful organizing, social media and blogging skills.
• Meet other parents, community-members and experts working in the field.

We’ll also have a special screening of the award-winning documentary Soul Food Junkies, and a Q&A with director Byron Hurt!

Join us (and feel free to bring friends!):
Saturday, March 2, 2013
11am-3pm (lunch will be served)
Brooklyn Bridge Marriott
333 Adams Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
RSVP today -- space is limited. This is a free event.

Speakers will include:

• Dr. Aletha Maybank, NYC Dept. of Public Health
• Dream Hampton, MomsRising.org
• Migdalia Rivera, Latina On A Mission
• Tanya Fields, The BLK ProjeK
• Lorraine Gonzalez, Children’s Defense Fund
• Joy Spencer, Center for Digital Democracy
• Elisa Batista, MomsRising.org
• Lisa Creighton, National Education Association Health Information Network
• Kimberly Seals Allers, MochaManual.com
• Jessica Donze Black, Director, Kids Safe and Healthful Foods
• Marty Kearns, Netcentric Campaigns
• Yoli Ouiya, New York Coalition for Healthy School Food
• Kate Klimczak, Center for Science in the Public Interest

Type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure. Heart disease. Our kids shouldn't have to face these issues. Yet more than 23 million children and adolescents – that’s nearly one in three – are obese or overweight, and as a result at higher risk for developing these life-threatening conditions.

School nutrition is a critical part of the equation; children consume up to half of their daily calories at school. As advocates for healthier families, schools and communities, we have our work cut out for us.

The timing couldn’t be more urgent, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture has just opened a 60-day comment period on their updated national nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold through vending machines and a la carte lines. This is an important opportunity to come together and change the game.