BODY SCULPT OF NEW YORK, INC.
Body Sculpt of New York, Inc. is a not-for-profit, health and fitness organization, whose mission is to educate parents and children about childhood obesity and offer healthy lifestyle alternatives, in physical fitness and nutrition. The organization’s founder is Vincent Ferguson, a certified personal trainer and author. The organization has been in operation for 17 years and is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) since March, 1989.
The organization consists of certified fitness instructors who travel throughout the New York City area to conduct a wide range of sports clinics and seminars on fitness and nutrition. These role models not only continue to inspire today’s youth, but they also lay the groundwork for a better future – showing youngsters the importance of good general health and fitness as lifetime goals.
From 1993 to 1998, the organization created and produced the Children's Choice Awards. The Children's Choice Awards enabled over 500,000 children throughout the New York tri-state area to vote and present awards to their favorite role models in film, Television, Sports, Music, Fashion, Education and Politics. Past honorees who have accepted this prestigious award have included: Actress/Rapper Queen Latifah, R&B singer Brandy, Rapper LL Cool J, Pop Superstar Michael Jackson, Designer Tommy Hilfiger, former New York State Governor Mario Cuomo, former New York City Mayor David N. Dinkins and many others.
In 2004, Body Sculpt of New York created the Children’s Sports & Fitness Expo. The Children’s Sports & Fitness Expo is an annual event, which culminates into a day of exercise, education and fun. The Expo serves as a great mechanism to energize an entire community and others across the city, to regularly practice consistent and varied physical activity, as well as good nutrition on a regular basis. The Expo gives young people an opportunity to participate in over 25 sports clinics, health screenings and nutrition classes, which encourage children and parents to choose healthier lifestyles. Through this event, families can gain exposure to activities, programs and services that will help them to become more physically fit, thereby reducing the risk of obesity in their lives.
Initially, the annual Children’s Sports & Fitness Expo was held in Manhattan during the month of September. Effective May, 2008, the Expo will expand its reach to include the borough of Brooklyn. The ultimate goal of Body Sculpt is to increase the visibility of the Children’s Sports & Fitness Expo by holding this event in each borough throughout the year. This will enable thousands of additional children to take part in this much needed event.