----- Jonelle Feikis- Arian Dezfoolian- Amer Homsi- Brett Clevenger- Anthony Nguyen-----

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTIONpage 2 BACKGROUND.page 2 PROJECT PLAN.page 4 STAFFING.page 6 BUDGETpage 7 SPONSORSHIPSpage 8 CONCLUSIONpage 9 REFERENCES..page 11

INTRODUCTION
In the past decade, the video game industry has become a powerhouse in the entertainment business. More and more people are exposed to video games every year and the industry grows because of this. The increased exposure creates somewhat of an anomaly in how the public perceives video games and companies that are video game related. On one side, you have those who admire video games and hold them in similar regards to Hollywood films and music. On the other side, you have those who criticize video games for an abundance of things (school shootings, obesity, behavior problems, and medical issues). As a result of this criticism, companies like GameStop suffer much of the backlash games get. To perhaps alleviate some of this tension and criticism, we are proposing a 5K event to bring obesity awareness, specifically in the Dallas area, into the spotlight. We think the Dallas area is a perfect candidate for this event for a few reasons. First, being a company based in the Dallas area, we think it is a good opportunity for GameStop to give back to the community, so to speak. It is in the best interest of GameStop to do this in Dallas because, not only is it a good public relations initiative, it is also a great way to help out those with issues concerning obesity, especially the aforementioned adolescents. Second, Texas has an incredibly bad reputation for being an epicenter for obesity, and it is not exactly unjustified. According to a 2009 study by the Department of State Health Services, 66.8% of adults were either overweight or obese, 15.6% of high school students were reported to be overweight, and 13.6% of them were considered obese (Arons, 2011). After months and months of planning and preparation, GameStop is proud to present the Zombie 5K Run to the Dallas Chamber of Commerce. We feel that as the largest retailer of video games in the country, it is our civic duty to inform the public about the dangers of obesity and sedentary lifestyle. We believe that GameStop can make a difference in Dallas in regards to the obesity problems that have long plagued the Dallas area through our proposed 5K Zombie Run. A healthy message, with a clever twist, that is attractive to a large audience can make a huge difference in our community.

BACKGROUND
The gaming industry as a whole is one that is ever changing and recently the industry has come under attack for the amount of violent content in games as well as other effects on adolescents, as we are sure you are well aware. Being the leader of an entire industry, we have certain social responsibilities, and although we cannot change the content of the games we sell, we can help the community in other ways. As a company GameStop has always been consumer, and community driven, which is why we are proposing we host an event that raises awareness on an issue plaguing the Dallas area. Obesity, particularly in children, is a major issue in the Dallas area and we are proposing a zombie themed fun run to spread awareness and offer help on the issue. Obesity is an issue that needs to be addressed immediately because of the future implications it has. According the 2007 National Survey of Childrens Health, Texas children have an obesity rate of 32.2%,

besting the national average by 1% (Child Health, 2007). As we expand further however, we find the number of children who are overweight, yet not classified as obese, to be even more startling. The SPAN III study, a representative study that takes a sample from schools all across the state, found that in the years 2004-2005 that a startling 42% of fourth grade level students are considered overweight, while 23% of them are to be considered obese, as seen in figure 1 to the left (Arons, 2011). As you can see the current levels of both children who are overweight and obese are nearly double what is the states current target level. In 2009, the Texas Figure 1-(Source: DSHS Obesity Data Sheet (May 2010) in (Arons, 2011). State Demographer stated, If we do not arrest the increase of the burden of obesity, we will lower the quality of life for Texas population, decrease the economic competitiveness of the state by increasing the burden of health care costs on the states employers, and increase the b urden on the health care system(Arons, 2011). The costs associated with childhood obesity are not only measured through the medical expenses incurred by the state, but also the lifelong effects that being obese has. It has been two hundred years since the current generation of Americans did not outlive their parents, but because of the obesity epidemic it appears that this streak will be broken (Belluck, 2005). We now all exist in a world where, statistically speaking, parents will outlive their own children due to this crisis, and immediate action needs to be taken. In addition, the financial burden that obesity has brought upon us is one of astronomical proportions as well. In figure 2, on the next page, you can see that projections indicate that by the year 2030 the costs to Texas business for medical costs in relation to diabetes to be over 30 billion dollars (Combs, 2011). We believe firmly that throwing money at the problem will not necessarily be as beneficial as trying to raise awareness to these alarming facts and statistics. It is for these reasons we believe it is imperative for GameStop to become active in fighting this epidemic and help get the youth of Texas to be among the nations healthiest.

With companies such as Nintendo and Microsoft taking initiative to get players off of the couch and into a more active role in the games that are being playing by children with products such as Wii Fit and Kinect, we as a company should be following their lead. It is vital that we spread awareness about the growing number of children who are classified Figure 2 (Source: Comcs, 2011). as obese because, to put it simply, obese children will become obese adults and the cycle will continue.

PROJECT/PLAN
We at GameStop would like to cordially invite all gamers and athletes to the run of a lifetime. GameStop and our sponsor, Valve, will be funding a once in a lifetime opportunity for gamers to come out and show their support for the health community by running a 5K marathon as a Zombie. The purpose of this run is in efforts to confront the rising rates in obesity amongst teens and adults. We want to promote a dynamic and active lifestyle for gamers, there is no reason why gamers have to be sedentary. We believe they can be just as active, so we want to aid in this humble effort by taking what gamers love and bringing it out of their favorite games. The Zombie Run will take place at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano, TX. The race will cost $25 a person, which will include a t-shirt and a goodie-bag at the end of the race. This goodie- bag will have information about childhood obesity and flyers/gifts from our sponsors. Signing up for the race will be conducted online via gamestop.com/zombierun. Participants have the option of running as a zombie or a human. Human participants can wear any sort of comfortable clothing for running or walking the 5K. Zombie participants will be running with the human runners, but we want you to appear to be chasing them. The idea is to instill a sense of excitement and adrenaline to the run. This is key and vital in Arbor Hills Nature Preserve- Plano, TX order to make this event memorable and unique.

Look gruesome, look ugly, look dead, and look absolutely hungry for brains. Zombie runners are encouraged to wear their own gruesome outfit and come in bloody makeup. Check-in for the race will open at 7:30am. At check-in, runners will be receiving their race bib and race t-shirt. Check-in will end at about 8:15am to allow participants to proceed to the start line and await the signal to begin the run at 8:30am. During the race, for every half kilometer, there will be refueling and or aid stations, to provide water, snacks, rest, care for scraps, and falls.. There is incentive for running the race to win. Zombies and human runners will be running towards the finish line to compete for prizes. After the run bananas, protein bars, and water will be served at booths. Along with those booths, there will be other booths bought by different sponsors/partners of the run. This will further be discussed in the Sponsorship section but booths may be purchased for $150 which will include a table and four chairs. These booths will provide information and promotions concerning obesity. All money raised will go towards medical research and funding for activities to help promote healthier living for teens and adults. As mentioned earlier, there will be prizes for the winners of the Zombie Run. The prizes will be donations from GameStop, Valve, and other sponsors.

Participants Third Place

Second Place

Grand Prize

T-shirts that state, "I survived the Zombie run!" Goodie-bag $250 GameStop gift card 20% off all Zombie games by Valve Free Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus subscription for one year $500 GameStop gift card 25% off all Zombie games by Valve Free Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus subscription for one year Nintendo 3DS XL or PlayStaion Vita Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 2 of the 5 Zombie games offered at the event $750 GameStop gift card Year supply of Game Informer magazine Meet and greet with the CEO of Valve

STAFFING
The staffing for the actual 5K run will approximately require 300 volunteers to run things smoothly. These volunteers are to be made up of GameStop and Valve employees with an addition of non-company employees. We hope to attract employees to participate in this event by offering an extra paid vacation holiday to be used anytime the employee chooses. We hope to attract non company employees with the chance to make use of their free time, community service, or their support of our cause to fight obesity. To create awareness for this event and cause, 50 employees are needed to design, print, distribute, and post flyers, posters, and digital invites directed to the public as well as interested volunteers and participants. In particular, the race will require the remaining 450 volunteers to help with outfitting, helping, directing, recording, aiding, and cleaning the event. Before the race is to begin, a 10-20 volunteers are to prepare visual directions for the trail, by preparing stakes with proper identification such as a poster that will lead the way. After preparing mapping out equipment, the volunteers are to go and put up stakes according to the 5K trail, connecting each stake with ribbon with tape for clearer aid. Of these 10-20 volunteers, a couple of them are needed to put up the banner to mark where the race starts and where it ends. There will need to be at least 25 volunteers at the front gates welcoming the incoming participants, helping them get situated to the event. These 25 must be well versed in the format of the race, when it will start, where it will start, and other necessary procedures such as the locations of water and snacks. Along with knowing the general basics of the race, these 25 will record names, give them an identifying number, outfit them with a tag, and help them out with any pre-run exercises. Along with helping with the identification tags, these volunteers will hand out the free t-shirts to all participants. They must also be able to know how to market the runs purpose to fight obesity, advertise GameStop and the companies involved in sponsoring the event. When the race is finished, these 25 volunteers will remain and thank the participants for their participation, for showing up to the event, helping raising awareness for obesity. Another 10 volunteers will be needed to help get the race underway, 3 will flag the start, 2 will be needed to time the start, and the remaining 5 will be in charge of the air horn or security to prevent potential trampling and mix ups. During the race, for every half kilometer, there will be refueling and or aid stations, to provide water, snacks, rest, care for scraps, and falls. These stations will be manned by 3-5 volunteers to prevent potential traffic of incoming racers. Scattered among the trail will be a few volunteers, in place to help guide the racers on the right track and provide a safety net against any potential lost. These volunteers are needed to carry with them any supplies such as a first aid kit, bottled water, and a snack that is needed in case of racer needs. There will need to be a few volunteers in groups and relatively close to each other in case an emergency is needed that would require multiple volunteers to be there in short notice (Host 5k, 2012). Volunteers, specifically those of GameStop and Valve, are to help out with any of the sponsors that are to be present during their race marketing, selling, or giving away their products with pickup of boxes, moving items, or setting up their tents or trucks. As the race

progresses, non-sponsor volunteers will come and go as the race goes on. The remaining volunteers will make their way to the end of the race to cheer on the racers that attempted the race, help out with any needs if necessary such as providing food, water, care, or snapping pictures. There will be a ceremony for the individual who finished and the more volunteers the merrier to make it a fun and exciting event. A good amount of them will create awareness for the purpose of this event, market the company, and provide any good will. As the racers leave the event, the volunteers are to hand out any gifts or samples if necessary. After the race is all done and finished, the remaining volunteers are to pull up the stakes, pull down the banners at the start and end of the race, and clean up any messes or litter that resulted because of the event.

BUDGET
As mentioned earlier, registration to run the Zombie Run is $25 due before the start of the race. The $25 includes a free t-shirt and a bag filled with goodies and coupons when the race is completed. Along with signing up to run, companies can purchase booth space to promote their company or anything they wish for $150 a space. The space will be supplied with two folding tables and four folding chairs. We are expecting registration of about five hundred runners to bring in an estimated $12,500 and then registration of approximately fifteen booths to bring in $2,250 totaling $14,750. On top of the money brought in from registration we are expecting donations from our sponsors. With a grand total of the Zombie Run costing about $30,000 minus registration and donations we expect to put forth about $15,000 to benefit childhood obesity in the Dallas County Area. As a company, we believe that the donation of $15,000 is the least we can do to help the growing concern of childhood obesity in the Dallas area. A list of expense can be found on the next page.

LIST OF EXPENSES Item Race T-shirts Volunteer T-shirts PA System Racing Bibs Race Clock and Stand Mile Marker Signs Safety Cones Start and Finish Banner Water Coolers Trash Containers Folding Tables Folding Chairs Paper Cones Cups Nature Valley Granola Bar Bananas Race Tote Bags Flyers Event Banners Pens Awards * one day rental Quantity 500 200 1* 500 1* 1* 30* 1* 30* 20* 40* 120* 5000 576 125 lbs. 700 2,000 4 500 multiple TOTAL: Cost $2,500.00 $1,000.00 $400.00 $220.00 $100.00 $15.00 $7.50 $25.00 $30.00 $20.00 $200.00 $60.00 $95.00 $228.00 $53.75 $574.00 $236.00 $143.36 $40.00 $1,000 $29,447.25

SPONSORSHIPS/PARTNERSHIPS
As mentioned in the previous section it will cost $150 to obtain a booth. The booth comes with two folding tables and four folding chairs. Companies will be free to provide anything to the public in regards to promotions or information concerning obesity. We hope to have companies from local gyms, to nutrition/vitamin companies, to doctors offices or hospitals. Along with sponsorships via booths, we hope to have companies donate prizes for a raffle. Runners will be given one free raffle ticket in the beginning of the race when signing up. It will be included as part of their goodies in their goodie-bag. It will cost two dollars per extra raffle ticket. One dollar will go to proceeds to benefit childhood obesity in the Dallas County Area. The other dollar will go to the respective booths that receive the raffle ticket. Runners can choose which booth to enter their raffle in. There are no limits on how many raffle tickets one can buy.

In the below chart, we have four companies that have already promised to purchase booths and provide donations and/or raffle prizes.

Booth? Donation Raffle Prizes

Yes 500 water bottles $200 Visa gift card

Yes Nutritional Packets/Snacks $200 GNC gift card

Yes N/A Xbox Kinect with 2 fitness games + Left 4 Dead game

Yes 2 week trial gym memberships 6 month free membership

Ozarka will provide information about how important water is to function in everyones daily routine. GNC will have representatives for nutrition and supplements that will be able to talk to the participants about health and how to jump start or continue with a fitness routine. Along with giving out free sample nutrient packets GNC will also be selling an assortment of healthy eating plans and GNC products. Valves booth will contain Zombie games for purchase and possibly helping promote Xbox and the fitness games that can be played on the console. Last but not least, Lifetime Fitness has promised to buy a booth. The booth will contain information on the importance of being active and how working out as a family can be beneficial to everyone. They will also provide trail memberships to the local Lifetime Fitness gyms in the Dallas area. The sponsorships/partnership and booths are the best way to show case how obesity is effecting the Dallas area and the easy and fun ways to fix the problem. Without the information provided by the booths the event would not be as successful.

CONCLUSION
GameStop is proud to be in a unique situation where we can give back to our community in a way that promotes healthy living. We believe we have a social responsibility to give widespread attention to a serious cause that is plaguing Dallas in a way that is synonymous with what GameStop stands for, which is fun. We deliver so much joy into peoples lives through our video games that we believe we can do deliver the same amount of joy but for a good cause. Our Zombie 5K. We believe that our proposed 5K will be something that will highly benefit those who may be interested in video games, a healthy lifestyle or both. The issue many people have is

that they are just not acquainted with what it takes to maintain a healthy lifestyle. People must be exposed to something before they can practice it. GameStop, a company that focuses solely on video games, is in the distinctive situation where parts of its audience live a relatively sedentary lifestyle; these people trust us and know that we would do them no harm. Now, using that power, we can really make a difference in the Dallas community. The Dallas Chamber of Commerce is in a position where they can help thousands of people who suffer from obesity through GameStops proposed 5K run. It is easy to say obesity rates are on the rise, but to actually see them in numbers is astonishing. Howe ver, these statistics only made us more motivated to resolve this issue with an insurmountable attention to detail. We know the problem, we know our audience and we know the solution. We are absolutely certain that we will be able to create a huge difference in obesity rates and we believe no one is more driven to help combat this issue than GameStop. We are ready to make a difference in Dallas and we hope you are too.

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REFERENCES
Arons, Abigail (January, 2011) Childhood Obesity in Texas: The Costs, The Policies, and a Framework for the Future. Retrieved from: http://www.childhealthtx.org/pdfs/Childhood%20Obesity%20in%20Texas%20Report.pd f Belluck, Pam. (2005)"Children's Life Expectancy Being Cut Short by Obesity." The New York Times. Retrieved From: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/17/health/17obese.html?_r=0. Child Health Data. (2007). TEXAS STATE FACT SHEET [Data file]. Retrieved from http://childhealthdata.org/docs/nsch-docs/texas-pdf.pdf Combs, Susan (2011) Gaining Costs, Losing Time The Obesity Crisis in Texas. Retrieved From:
http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/obesitycost/cost.php

How To: Host a 5k Run For Your Cause (2012), DoSomething: Retrieved From:
http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/actionguide/how-host-5k-run-your-cause

Texas Overweight and Obesity Statistics. (2010). DSHS Obestiy Data Sheet. [Data file]. Retreived from: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:KAbyP6NDs8J:www.dshs.state.tx.us/obesity/pdf/DataFacts.pdf+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srci d=ADGEESgpsxip5Fubc7ZJQl98BE6stXqMwFJgATEmbEhmyg9ZJrPndkDkTKn7KpPqMF6YRgaI4pdiWL3j9o019gUSQbxHCaqWYJhikKjj3mJ1gCgekFqv66XHZEUiHbGbBhGnWtpNDH& sig=AHIEtbQeHVcg0c9RovsFXEqNyKSSMsc8nw

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