Tommie Smith Youth Track Meet to be held at Edwards Stadium in Berkeley

By Globe Staff

When 100 Black Men of the Bay Area kicked off the Tommie Smith Youth Track Meet at Oakland’s Laney College several years ago, young people of all ages competed, and the stands were filled with proud parents.
    Organizers hoped the meet would help bring public attention to a growing health risk.
   “Too many young people are eating nothing but fast foods, and then they watch TV or videos,” said Dr. Mark Alexander, a member of 100 Black Men of the Bay Area. “They are not getting enough exercise.”
    Arnold Perkins, director of the Alameda County Department of Public Health, said, “60 percent of the public school students in Oakland are obese, and this puts them at risk for diabetes, strokes and heart disease later in life.”
    The third annual Tommie Smith Youth Track Meet will take place at UC Berkeley’s Edwards Stadium on Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21. Opening ceremonies will begin at 10 a.m. each day, and the meet will conclude by 6 p.m. The stadium is located at the intersection of Fulton St. and Bancroft Way in Berkeley.
    The deadline for teams and athletes to register is May 12. The meet is free and open to the public.
    For information on the 100 Black Men of the Bay Area’s youth fitness and health initiative, visit www.100blackmenba.org/youthmovement.htm or www.100blackmenba.org/tsyouthtrackprogram.htm.