By Crystal Swann
August 2, 2010

“…Baltimore’s mayor, Mayor Rawlings-Blake, thank you so much for being here today. Thank you for your support. Thank you for making this city a strong one and letting us launch this in your city,” said First Lady Michelle Obama to Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake during “Let’s Move” event at Camden Yards.

Obama, Rawlings-Blake, Maryland First Lady Katie O’Malley, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bug Selig, along with children and professional baseball players, came together at Camden Yards to support the Major League Baseball RBI (Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities) program. The First Lady announced that Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players Association would team with the White House in the Let’s Move campaign, which promotes exercise and healthy eating for America’s youth.

The Let’s Move campaign, according to Obama, is designed to end childhood obesity “so that kids grow up healthier to pursue their dreams.” By adding MLB to the program, Obama hopes to reach a broader audience through 30 public service announcements featuring players from each team.

The First Lady and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius recently joined the nation’s mayors in Oklahoma City at the Conference’s Annual Meeting to launch a new component of her “Let’s Move” campaign called “Let’s Move Cities and Towns.” Mayors interesting in joining the campaign and pledging their support can go to the website www.letsmove.org for more information on the campaign and to sign up.