Daily recess has been a topic of debate for top educators and health care officials recently, and today kids' voices were heard as more than 100,000 hand-written letters were mailed to school boards around the country as part of a nationwide initiative led by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and Cartoon Network, entitled Rescuing Recess. Announced in March, the multi-year program champions the importance of recess for kids and works to protect and revitalize it in schools across the country. This letter-writing campaign is the first element of Rescuing Recess, which awarded $310,000 in grants today at PTA's national convention in Phoenix.

In just seven weeks, more than 100,000 hand-written letters were received from virtually every state in the union, the Virgin Islands and the overseas Department of Defense Schools in which children made sweeping declarations about their appreciation, commitment and enthusiasm for daily recess. Rescuing Recess encouraged kids to log-on to www.RescuingRecess.com to learn ways to make recess even more fun and healthy, and presented the letter-writing campaign as an opportunity to share their views with their local board of education while also helping to raise money for their schools.

Some letters espoused the social, physical and educational benefits of recess.

"Recess is my favorite activity!" says Mikal, a fifth grader at Post Road School in White Plains, N.Y. "It's important because it helps me stay focused in class."

Thomas of San Diego, Calif. agrees, "Recess keeps me fit, gives me exercise and helps me concentrate on my academic studies. It also helps me make new friends and be socially active."

For other students, it was all about keeping school fun.

"It's the only time you can let out your energy and be silly," explains Riley of Commerce, Mich.

Riley's classmate, Maygan, makes an earnest plea, "Please don't take my recess away!"

"These hand-written letters are so inspirational because kids across the country have taken the time to personally tell their stories and show why it's important to protect or save recess in their communities," said Dennis Adamovich, senior vice president, marketing for Cartoon Network. "We can see the momentum building around our cause. This first Rescuing Recess initiative has received a lot of attention and the response from educators, parents and kids has been overwhelming."

Individual grants of $5,000 were awarded to top-participating schools in 49 participating states, as well as the Virgin Islands and the Department of Defense Schools in Europe. Additionally, a single $50,000 grant was awarded to the Florida PTA, the state with the highest participation in the country. The grants, which are part of Cartoon Network's overall pledge of $1.3 million to help save recess, will support protecting and saving recess at local schools by funding playground equipment, volunteer programs and research studies.

Experts agree that playtime can be just as vital as classroom time to a child's social, emotional and educational development. Yet in many schools around the country children aren't getting the chance to enjoy free time. The goal of Rescuing Recess¸ part of Cartoon Network's GET ANIMATED program, is to recognize unstructured break time as an essential element of the school day and to connect educators, parents, and kids as advocates to bring back or keep recess. "Our members know firsthand the positive effects of recess and were thrilled to help kids across the country take action through the letter writing campaign. The tremendous amount of letters received in just a few weeks is testament to the commitment PTAs share in making sure we keep or bring back recess as part of every child's learning experience," said Anna Weselak, PTA national president. "PTA is very proud to be joined in partnership with Cartoon Network on the Rescuing Recess campaign.

Rescuing Recess was developed with direction from an esteemed advisory board of leaders and policymakers in children's health and education, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Education Association (NEA), the National Association for Sport & Physical Education (NASPE), the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, New Leaders for New Schools, Health MPowers, Sportime and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). Cartoon Network has pledged more than $1.3 million to help save recess through Rescuing Recess, which includes the letter-writing campaign, resources for recruiting and training recess volunteers, recess kits that will be distributed to elementary schools around the country, research, and on-air public service announcements.

About Get Animated
GET ANIMATED is a Cartoon Network campaign that inspires and empowers kids to get active, get healthy and get involved. Launched in February 2005, the program provides on-air, online, print and off-channel programs to teach children the value of a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, good eating and helping others. Featuring the network's roster of popular cartoon characters, GET ANIMATED currently includes multiple animated PSAs, a mobile tour and community programs. For more information, please visit www.GetAnimated.com.

About Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in 89 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.'s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.

About National PTA
With nearly 6 million members, National PTA is the largest volunteer parent organization in the United States. Since its founding in 1897, National PTA has prided itself on being a powerful voice for children, a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in National PTA is open to anyone who is concerned with the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information about National PTA, visit www.pta.org.