Blue Shield of California and ChildObesity180  announced 11 winners of their nationwide innovation contest aimed at reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. The competition was designed to identify and reward the most creative and effective school-based fitness programs and technologies to promote children’s physical activity. With the support of Blue Shield, the Active Schools Acceleration Project (ASAP), a ChildObesity180 initiative, launched the competition in February 2012 in a commitment with the Partnership for a Healthier America. First Lady Michelle Obama encouraged participation in the competition with a call for applications via a video message according to a recentarticle in the Sacramento Bee.