(Canada Newswire English Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Attention News Editors/See CNW Photo Network and Archive

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Opportunity to carry Olympic Flame used as incentive in new Coca-Cola
physical activity program
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WINNIPEG, Dec. 2 /CNW/ - Today Coca-Cola in Canada announced that it will select 20 teenagers affiliated with Recreation Connections Sogo Active Manitoba, to carry the Olympic Flame in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. To be eligible, the teens must register and participate in Sogo Active (www.sogoactive.com), a national active living program aimed at Canadian youth that is presented by Coca-Cola in collaboration with ParticipACTION. Sogo Active will award over 1,000 torchbearer spots across Canada to teenagers who join the program and demonstrate a commitment to adopting an active lifestyle. Sogo Active Manitoba was formed by Recreation Connections Manitoba and was officially launched this morning by youth at the YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg - West Portage Branch, located in the St. James and west Winnipeg area.

"The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay will touch the soul of the nation and with Sogo Active, we hope to use the unique power of the Olympic Games to inspire the nation to get active," said Nicola Kettlitz, GM Olympic Project Team, Coca-Cola in Canada. "Youth who join the program and make a commitment to active living will have the chance to carry the Olympic Flame," he added.

"We're very proud to be involved with Sogo Active Manitoba, and to lend our resources to a solution that encourages youth to live more active lifestyles," said Angela Hildebrand, General Manager, YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg - West Portage Branch. "Young Canadians are the future of the country and Sogo Active will help us inspire and motivate them to live active, healthy lives."

Sogo Active is unlike any other youth fitness initiative because it gives young Canadians the tools to design, change and control their own individual get active plan. The program is a Coca-Cola initiative, executed by ParticipACTION, through intensive consultation with leading Canadian physical activity experts, teenagers and a broad network of provincial, territorial, aboriginal and community-based organizations. Sogo Active is a $5 million, five-year initiative.

Coca-Cola will award over 1,000 torchbearer spots in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay to teenagers who join Sogo Active and demonstrate a commitment to adopting an active lifestyle.

"We've travelled the country and asked youth and physical activity experts what it will take to get young Canadians active, and the outcome is Sogo Active," said Kelly Murumets, President & CEO of ParticipACTION. "Youth inactivity has always been a challenge, but Sogo Active's for-youth, by-youth approach is a truly exciting solution."

Here's how Sogo Active works:

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- Teens 13-19 create a unique profile for themselves on
www.sogoactive.com where they can network and find a range of
traditional and non-traditional activities that fit their needs,
interests and lifestyles.
- Local organizations can support youth groups with access to active
living facilities, equipment and resources and register as Community
Hosts on www.sogoactive.com where they become visible to youth
participants.
- Youth participants set and track their active living goals online, as
well as network with peers and arrange group activities.
- From December 2008 to June 2009, over 1,000 Sogo Active participants
will be selected by Coca-Cola to carry the Olympic Flame in the
Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.
- Torchbearer spots will be awarded by Coca-Cola through random draw
among eligible Sogo Active participants as well as identification by
Community Hosts for youth who have demonstrated outstanding peer
leadership or have overcome significant barriers. Youth earn
additional entries for each week that physical activity goals have
been met.
- Funding is available for youth groups who express a specific need for
resources and meet specific criteria.
- Following the Torchbearer Incentive Stage (2008-2010), the Legacy
Stage (2010-2012) will sustain and foster ownership within youth
groups and communities.

Sogo Active is powered by a dream-team of partners who are passionate
about getting Canadian youth active:

- Coca-Cola in Canada brings its sponsorship of the Vancouver 2010
Olympic Winter Games and over 80 years of involvement in the Olympic
Movement to inspire youth to get active. Coca-Cola Canada will also
market Sogo Active nationally and use the program to identify 1000
Torchbearers for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay.
- ParticipACTION designed the concept and content of Sogo Active and
created a network of Provincial/Territorial Coordinators.
- Thirteen Provincial/Territorial Coordinators coordinate the program
at the provincial/territorial level (Recreation Connections
Manitoba), including administering funding for youth groups via
Community Hosts; promoting Sogo Active; looking for opportunities to
leverage funds; and participating in the reporting and evaluation of
the program.
- Community Hosts are community-based organizations, such as YMCA-YWCA
of Winnipeg - West Portage Branch in Winnipeg that will provide
support for youth groups within their communities. The primary
function of the CHs is to support the youth groups and assist with
access to facilities, equipment and resources that youth identify are
needed for their activities.
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Coca-Cola and the Olympic Movement

The Coca-Cola Company has been associated with the Olympic Games since 1928 and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic Movement. Through the Olympic Games, Coca-Cola encourages people to create their own path of "positivity" in everyday life by believing that anything is possible. The Company's sponsorship supports National Olympic Committees in more than 200 countries to help athletes train and compete. The Coca-Cola Company is the exclusive nonalcoholic beverage provider to the Olympic Games through 2020.

Coca-Cola Canada

The Coca-Cola Company is the world's largest beverage company. In Canada, the Company is represented by its subsidiary, Coca-Cola Ltd. Coca-Cola is Canada's largest beverage company. Coca-Cola in Canada markets three of Canada's top nonalcoholic sparkling beverage brands, Coca-Cola, Diet Coke and Sprite and the leading ready to drink tea: Nestea. In addition, our subsidiary is the largest juice and juice drinks company with Minute Maid, Five Alive and Fruitopia. The Company also markets DASANI, PowerAde and other hot and cold beverages.

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For more information about Coca-Cola Canada, please visit our website at
www.cocacola.ca or our parent company's website at
www.thecoca-colacompany.com.

ParticipACTION
For more information, visit www.participACTION.com

Recreation Connections Manitoba
For more information, visit: www.recconnections.com/

YMCA-YWCA of Winnipeg - West Portage Branch
For more information, visit: www.ymcaywca.mb.ca/westportage.html

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on
the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca.
Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive
website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited
members of the media/
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Media inquiries: Lisa Mills, Environics Communications, (416) 969-2831, lmills@environicspr.com

Copyright ? 2008 Canada Newswire Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

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