ORLANDO - The Orange County Students Working Against Tobacco (SWAT), in conjunction with the Orange County Tobacco Free Partnership and the Orange County Health Department, are celebrating the “2010 Kick Butts Day” by hosting a community park cleanup. The cleanup will be held on Wednesday, March 24 at George Barker Park at 2000 Monte Carlo Trail, Orlando starting at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, March 24, 2010 in an effort to rid the park of littered cigarette butts.

Volunteers are encouraged to arrive early for an assessment of the park. The activities kickoff includes a resolution from the City of Orlando delivered by Commissioner Samuel B. Ings.

“Parks are great places to be active and improve our health. They shouldn’t be used as a dumping grounds for cigarettes”, said Dr. Kevin M. Sherin, Director of the Orange County Health Department. “Orlando Parks and Recreation is willing to do anything we can to support any efforts to eliminate smoking in children”, said John Perrone, City of Orlando Parks and Recreation Division Manger.

Kick Butts Day is an annual nationwide initiative sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, which helps school aged youth become leaders in the fight against tobacco. Kick Butts Day is on Wednesday, March 24 during the state’s “Tobacco Free Florida Week.”

Smoking kills over 28,000 Floridians each year, representing more deaths than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs and fires combined. SWAT, along with the Tobacco Free Partnership, are taking a proactive stance in Orange County to battle tobacco as we recognize most of these deaths could be prevented.

SWAT is Florida’s statewide youth organization working to mobilize, educate and equip Florida’s youth to revolt against and deglamorize Big Tobacco. We are a united movement of empowered youth working toward a tobacco free future.

For more information on this event or to participate, contact SWAT at 407-340-3415.