First lady Michelle Obama will take a two-day tour to Chicago, Mississippi and Missouri to promote Let’s Move!, her initiative to end childhood obesity. The first lady will also announce a partnership with the Department of Education to promote physical education in schools, according to the schedule announced by the White House today.
The first lady will kick off her tour with several TV appearances, beginning with “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” on Friday. She and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will also plug their school initiative on “The Dr. Oz Show,” which will air on Feb. 28, the day she and Secretary Duncan make their announcement in Chicago.
First stop on the tour will be Clinton, Miss., on Feb. 27, where Obama and celebrity cook Rachael Ray will promote the healthier school lunches she has pushed over the last several years. The lunch rules the first lady helped implement last year, intended to reduce obesity and get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, didn’t go over well with students. Some boycotted their schools’ lunches and posted videos online about how hungry they were.
In Chicago on Feb. 28, Obama and Secretary Duncan will make their “major announcement” about bringing physical education back to schools, joined by a star-studded crowd — including Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas, whom the first lady scolded for eating a McDonald’s sandwich after winning her gold medal.
Also in the crowd will be Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes, Olympic runner Allyson Felix, and tennis legend Serena Williams. There will even be a surprise musician to celebrate the announcement.
Her final stop will be Springfield, Mo., later that afternoon, where the first lady will promote Walmart’s efforts to offer healthier food as part of a Let’s Move! initiative.
After the tour, Obama will hold her own Google+ “fireside hangout” on March 4, hosted by Kelly Ripa. On March 6, she will answer questions about Let’s Move! on Twitter.
