Oakland, CA (PRWEB) December 22, 2014
OWH launched Best Bones Forever! in 2009 to help girls ages 9–14 build strong bones by getting the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D and participating in weight-bearing physical activity. Recognizing that girls are shaped by multiple influencers, including friends, parents, teachers, and health care professionals, the campaign used a multi-faceted approach to reach girls where they live, learn, and play. Strategies included a community pilot program, a large and diverse partnership network, free materials, an interactive website, a social media presence, and organized events, such as dance and writing contests.
In late 2013, OWH began a national search for a new home for Best Bones Forever!, holding calls with partners and posting a notice to the Federal Register. In 2014, American Bone Health, a national nonprofit based in Oakland, CA and longtime campaign partner, was identified as the new leader.
“We are honored that OWH chose us,” says Kathleen Cody, executive director of American Bone Health. “We have been at the table since the beginning and have seen the campaign’s success firsthand.”
As part of the transition, the website moved from http://www.bestbonesforever.gov to http://www.bestbonesforever.org and American Bone Health assumed management of the social media channels (http://www.facebook.com/bestbonesforever and @bestbones4ever on Twitter). The online channels will continue to offer accurate, reliable information about bone health and interactive features such as quizzes and recipes. Partnerships and community engagement will also continue to be an important component. American Bone Health will work with its nearly 400 peer educators in 75 cities to bring the campaign to communities across the country. Down the road, the organization will also retest Best Bones Forever!’s messages to ensure they still resonate with the audience and look to expand the campaign to include boys.
“We are excited about the future Best Bones Forever! has at American Bone Health,” says Cody. “This age group has a small window of opportunity to build a good skeletal foundation and we are thrilled to build on OWH’s successes so that we can keep the momentum going and continue to help girls—and boys—prevent osteoporosis later in life.”
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About American Bone Health
American Bone Health is a national grassroots organization and since 1990 has educated the public about osteoporosis and bone health. Through health fairs, workshops, community talks, American Bone Health is helping people prevent bone loss and fractures. Today, American Bone Health has hundreds of trained peer educators in cities around the country reaching thousands of people annually. They promote bone health and help people of all ages make the choices that allow them to have strong and healthy bones for a lifetime.
