Michelle Obama wows students at Fairhill School

To raucous applause in Fairhill School in North Philadelphia, Michelle Obama today outlined her "Let's Move" initiative to lower childhood obesity in the United States.

"I care about all our kids and this issue causes great concern," the First Lady said to a group of about 300 people gathered in the school's cafeteria. "I want to rally the country around one goal: end the epidemic of childhood obesity in one generation."

Obama was joined by Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The cabinet members talked about the Obama administration's $400 million Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which will bring grocery stores and other healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities.

The initiative is based on a similar one begun in Pennsylvania.

"What Pennsylvania has shown us is, if we provide the right incentives, people will invest in these neighborhoods," Obama said. "We want to replicate your success in Pennsylvania all over America."

She explained that poor neighborhoods are so-called supermarket deserts, bereft of grocery stores in which people can buy fresh fruits and vegetables and other foods. Instead, families must rely on convenience stores, whose foods help contribute to obesity, she said.

To fight obesity, Obama said, parents must be given information to make better food choices for their children.

She added that more nutritious foods need to be served in schools, and she added that she will be working with food suppliers and others to revamp breakfasts and lunches with less sugar, fat and salt, and with more whole grains.

Obama also said that children must exercise more. And finally, she said, America needs healthful food in its communities.

The school, on West Somerset Street in North Philadelphia, was Obama's second stop in the city.

Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said yesterday that the White House had chosen Fairhill, where nearly 90 percent of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, because of its successful focus on nutrition. The school has about 600 students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

"I'm really excited to meet her," said Destiny Alvarez, 12, sixth grader and member of the school's Snack and Fresh Leadership Team as she sat in the assembly. She was chosen to participate in the event because of her involvement in the club.

"When I get older I want to be a vegetarian because I like eating vegetables."

Melanie Cruz, 12, sixth grader said she was "really really excited" to meet the first lady. Also a club member, Melanie said she likes to exercise and play sports.

Earlier, Obama brought shrieks of delight from excited shoppers at the Fresh Grocer in North Philadelphia.

Chanting, "we love you," the shoppers reached out to shake hands with Obama who arrived at 11:45 a.m. through a back door to enter the store at 1501 North Broad Street.

The first lady walked into the crowd at a receiving area near the store's butcher shop. She reached across an area of bread and cakes to shake hands with the shoppers many of whom had gathered hours before to get a good look of her.

Obama walked down the store aisles stocked with hot food, salads, cut up fruits and fresh sea food.

She greeted the workers, telling them, "You guys are great," and made her way to the fruit smoothie machine where she ordered herself a strawberry twister smoothie containing strawberries, banana and blueberries.

"I have my own money," she told the worker pulling out a $20 bill to pay for the $4.31 drink.

She sipped her drink through a straw while owner, Patrick Burns, chief executive officer of Fresh Grocer, accompanied her around the store as she spoke to employees. She spent about 15 minutes there before leaving in her motorcade for Fairhill Elementary also in North Philadelphia.

The 46,000-square-foot Fresh Grocer, located in a high poverty area of Philadelphia, is part of Progress Plaza and said to be the first African American-owned shopping center in the United States, having been developed in 1968.

"It's amazing. You never know what you're going to wake up to," said Angelee Harvey, 40, from North Philadelphia, who arrived at the store at 9 a.m. "I went in to buy some juice, and met the First Lady."

Said Elizabeth Shepard, 41, of North Philadelphia: "This is history in the making."

Added Timysha Carter, 29, from North Philadelphia: "This is truly a blessing. I'm so excited. We love Michelle."

Obama has said that one in three children in the United States are overweight or obese. She has also said that children are showing up in pediatricians' offices with high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol in numbers never before seen.

Much of North Philadelphia is a high-poverty area in a city with nearly 25 percent poverty.

The $15 million Fresh Grocer, part of a Philadelphia-area regional chain, opened last December. It was developed by, among other entities, the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a public-private partnership created to increase the number of supermarkets in underserved communities across the state.

Thus far, the Initiative, in partnership with the state, the Reinvestment Fund and the Food Trust -- both nonprofits in Philadelphia – has spent $120 million to build 80 grocery stores statewide since 2004, according to John Weidman, deputy director of the Food Trust.

"This is one of the proudest moments of my life to have the first lady standing behind my mission," said Burns, owner the area's 10 Fresh Grocer stores (eight in Philadelphia, one in Upper Darby and one in Wilmington) after the visit. "She's a mom. She food shops. She gets it."

Burns described his story as "the thread of the community. It gives healthy alternatives at affordable prices."

Neighborhood resident Fred Tookes challenged Burns's view of the store. He claimed that whites had management positions while African Americans held the lower level jobs. "People can't afford to shop here," said Tookes. "People get excited about all of the hoopla. But, when Mrs. Obama leaves today. nothing is gonna change."

The store has had a positive impact on the neighborhood, said Burns who insisted that its prices were comparable with other area grocers. "Out of the 250 people hired, 25 percent were on welfare and 90% lived in a one mile radius.

"If we didn't believe in equal opportunity, why would we come here?"

Kenny Ashe, vice chair of the Progress Plaza, said the development continues to impact the community. "The main thing is making sure we have jobs," he said about the $20 million plaza project which culminated on Dec. 11, 2009 with the store's grand opening.

Gov. Rendell, at a press conference in Philadelphia, called the First Lady "the best messenger" for physical fitness, then mused that, for the first time since he's been a public official, "I am a good example to children as well."

Rendell, who said he has lost 60 pounds from his high of 265, has been evangelizing that his strategy - simply eating less at each meal- works.

Staff writers Elisa Lala and Jeff Shields contributed to this report.