History of Healthy Child Healthy World (CHEC) Timeline

Healthy Child Healthy World (formerly known as CHEC) Timeline: April 1991: Nancy and Jim Chuda establish the Colette Chuda Environmental Fund (CCEF) after their daughter, Colette, dies of a non-genetic cancer. CCEF begins funding new research to identify the causes of childhood cancers. June 1992: Children’s Health Environmental Coalition (CHEC) is created. CHEC’s mission is to inform parents about the preventable childhood health and developmental problems cause by exposures to toxic substances and to educate them on risk reduction in their homes, schools, and community. Olivia Newton-John agrees to serve as CHEC’s national spokesperson. November 1994: Handle With Care: Children and Environmental Carcinogens, funded by CCEF and authored by the Natural Resources Defense Council, is published. This report is the first-ever systematic analysis of children’s exposure to carcinogens in their home and school environments. September 1996: Senator Boxer (D – CA) introduces in the Senate the Children’s Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). Boxer dedicates the bill to the memory of Colette Chuda. The Chudas meet with Senator Barbara Boxer, who subsequently proposes an ammendment to protect vulnerable populations, addressing the need for greater environmental protections for children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Her testimony references Colette Chuda and CCEF-sponsored research. October 1996: The Chudas are awarded The California League of Conservation Voters' Environmental Leadership Award for their dedication to children's environmental health protections in their home state of California. November 1996: CHEC publishes the first CHEC Report, an educational newsletter to inform parents how they can safeguard their children from toxins in their environment. Its call-to-action supports the (CEPA). In response to this action alert, it garners over 80 national grassroots organizations to sign on in support of CEPA. April 1997: President Clinton signs Executive Order 12606, endorsing improved research to protect children and the establishment of new safeguards that consider special environmental health risks to children. CHEC hosts the Children's Environmental Health Symposium: Bridging the Gap between Children's Health and the Environment, at The Sundance Institute in Sundance, Utah. Margaret Wentworth Owings, co-founder of the Environmental Defense Fund, receives CHEC's Lifetime Environmental Leadership Award. This event is the first national grassroots symposium that brings together activists, scientists, and policy makers to present and exchange information on critical issues regarding children's environmental health. The Chudas attend a press conference in Washington, DC with Senator Boxer and Representative James Moran (VA) where Sen. Moran introduces the Children's Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), H.R. 2451, in the House of Representatives. February 1998: CHEC publishes The Household Detective Primer: How to Protect Your Children From Toxins in the Home, an introduction to the less- and non-toxic alternatives available to parents. June 1999: CHEC creates its Science Advisory Committee. A select team of 12 nationally recognized health science experts agree to serve. Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and environmental health expert at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, is appointed chair. Dr. Harvey Karp, a pediatrician in private practice and assistant professor of pediatrics, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, is selected as co-chair. CHEC Board of Directors adopts the plan for a National Environmental Childproofing Campaign, a multi-media national educational outreach effort to expand the well known practice of "childproofing" the home to include easy-to-implement precautions that limit unnecessary exposures to pervasive environmental pollutants linked to asthma, developmental learning disorders, cancer, and other chronic health problems. September 1999: CHEC and the Institute for Children's Environmental Health (ICEH) co-convene the Children's Environmental Health Summit, in Tarrytown, N.Y. More than 25 leaders from a cross-section of medical, advocacy, governmental, and non-profit organizations address issues related to children's health and the environment and outline strategy to work in partnership. November 1999: CHEC and the Institute for Children's Environmental Health establish Partnership for Children's Health and the Environment. Over 60 national government, academic, medical, and community-based organizations sign on to The Guiding Principles for Children's Environmental Health. They agree to work together towards building a strong, sustainable, and collaborative movement to protect current and future generations from harmful environmental exposures. March 2000: The Senate approves an amendment on Pesticide Use in Schools. Written by Senator Barbara Boxer (CA), this amendment is part of CEPA. It requires schools to give parents 48-hour notice before spraying any pesticide that contains a known carcinogen, a developmental or reproductive toxin, or an acute nerve toxin. It also directs EPA to distribute to schools its existing booklet on how to reduce the use of toxic pesticides. June 2000: Jubilation Concert 2000, a fundraiser chaired by Vice President Albert Gore, is held at the home of Cindra and Alan Ladd, Jr. Kelly Preston and John Travolta, Michael and Judy Eisner and the Chudas co-host. Olivia Newton-John produces the concert; Clint Black, Kenny Loggins, Jim Brickman, and Ms. Newton-John perform. CHEC presents Environmental Leadership Awards to Dr. Kenneth Olden, director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), for his leadership role in children's environmental health research and Senator Barbara Boxer (CA), for her outstanding legislative efforts on behalf of children's environmental health. An Honorary Citizen's Award is given to Erin Brockovich for her efforts in protecting children's environmental health. October 2000: CHEC is a recipient of a US HUD Healthy Homes Initiative grant supporting the creation of a web-based, children's environmental health center. December 2000: Erin Brockovich joins CHEC's Advisory Board. June 2000: Jubilation Concert 2000, a fundraiser chaired by Vice President Albert Gore, is held at the home of Cindra and Alan Ladd, Jr. Kelly Preston and John Travolta, Michael and Judy Eisner and the Chudas co-host. Olivia Newton-John produces the concert; Clint Black, Kenny Loggins, Jim Brickman, and Ms. Newton-John perform. May 2001: CHEC releases a special-interest video, Not Under My Roof: Protecting Your Baby from Toxins at Home. This 15-minute video, hosted by Olivia Newton-John and Kelly Preston, provides information to parents about potential environmental hazards found in the home. Highlights of National Environmental Childproofing Campaign press tour include the following appearances: Good Morning America, The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Bloomberg Radio, and a National Press Club Newsmakers event. CHEC invites all members of Congress to a special video screening and reception at the US Senate Russell Caucus Room. November 2001: Not Under My Roof is added to Newborn Channel programming in over 1,000 maternity hospitals. CHEC launches its First Steps, a monthly email program, to enable parents to sign up and receive information throughout their baby's first year of life. The information provided helps parents make their homes the safe haven they want for their new baby. February 2002: Kelly Preston launches CHEC's HealtheHouse on Good Morning America and The View - The Children's Environmental Health portal, offering a web based interactive Virtual House identifying environmental health hazards and suggesting safer alternatives. May 2002: CHEC launches the Health-eNews, a free email newsletter. Sent twice monthly, each issue contains news briefs along with tips on how to protect children from environmental hazards around the home and in the community. June 2002: CHEC launches Erin Brockovich Action Kit. October 2002: CHEC celebrates its 10th-year anniversary with a benefit concert, 'OneWorld, One Child' on October 10th in Beverly Hills, CA. The evening brings together a gathering of artists to raise awareness, funding and advocacy for CHEC. The event is hosted by Kelly Preston, John Travolta, and Erin Brockovich, as well as co-founders Nancy and Jim Chuda. CHEC also recognizes three exceptional women who have worked to protect and defend children's health. These individuals, each renowned in her field, include actress Meryl Streep, scientist Dr. Lawrie Mott and businesswoman Nell Newman. November 2002: Kelly Preston is named to the International Pediatric Hospital Hall of Fame, an honor given annually by the Board of Trustees from Miami Children1s Hospital Foundation for work in pediatric medicine, philanthropy, and protection of children. February 2003: CHEC's Executive Director serves on the planning committee for a national Symposium on Children's Environmental Health: Identifying And Preventing Environmental Risks. Sponsored by The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the meeting takes place at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda MD, February 24-26. Ms. Sword shares CHEC's educational tools and programmatic initiatives as part of her childhood cancer panel presentation. Participants range from scientists to activists and included physicians, journalists and other dedicated specialists. Identifying and preventing environmental threats to children and seeking better ways of informing the public were the major foci of the conference. As such, discussion between specialized individuals with each party sharing their expertise with other interested symposium members opened the way for critical communication, education and understanding May 2003: CHEC partners with Earthbound Farm, the nation's largest organic produce company and five other top organic food and natural product brands to increase membership and encourage consumers to buy organic. Through this promotion, consumers who join CHEC receive coupons for free products from Earthbound Farm, Cascadian Farm, Eden Foods, Organic Valley, Santa Cruz Organics and Seventh Generation. They range from cooperatives of small organic farms to worldwide natural product distributors and specializing in everything from meats and pastas to every day household cleaners June 2003: CHEC Board member Erin Brockovich is featured on 7 million Organic Valley milk cartons that help to educate consumers that "choosing organic is an easy way to protect our children's health." By using products such as Organic Valley's milk and other organic foods parents can help provide a healthy lifestyle for their children. The 550 farmers in the Organic Valley cooperative are honored to be partners with the Children's Health Environmental Coalition," said George Siemon, Founding Farmer and CEO of Organic Valley Family of Farms, America's largest organic cooperative. "It's clear that an organic diet reduces children's exposure to harmful pesticides. Organic Valley is farming for future generations - to protect children's health - and CHEC is fulfilling that promise." July 2003: CHEC's comprehensive new guidebook, the Household Detective: Protecting Your Children From Toxins At Home is re-released. This guide discusses the array of environmental dangers in and around the home and ways to reduce risks and exposures that specifically impact on children. Based on the most reliable scientific research, CHEC's authors combed the most up to date resources to uncover household toxins and present alternatives to the use of toxic products in the home. Designed as a reference guide, the Household Detective is user friendly as a research tool, scientific aide, or an every day home resource created for practical use. Included in the book are specialized glossaries on cleaning products, pest control, and pet hygiene along with numerous ways to meet everyday challenges in the home and garden. The Household Detective is a CHEC membership premium and is also available for sale at checnet.org. September 2003: CHEC partners with Cedars Sinai Medical Center of Los Angeles to provide new parents with CHEC's critically acclaimed video on preventing exposure to dangerous toxins in and around the home. The hospital will distribute the video, Not Under My Roof! Protecting Your Baby From Toxins At Home, free of charge to all new parents for the next two years as well as CHEC's First Steps brochure. October 2003: Kelly Preston is featured in the CIGNA Power of Caring series in Time, Sports Illustrated and People magazines. "Kelly Preston is Passionate About Protecting Children" details Kelly's early ordeal with her son Jett, as well as celebrating her leadership role as CHEC's national spokesperson. The profile reaches over 90 million readers. November 2003: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of Los Angeles partners with CHEC to provide new parents with CHEC’s critically acclaimed video on preventing exposure to dangerous toxins in and around the home. The hospital distributes the video, Not Under My Roof! Protecting Your Baby From Toxins at Home, free of charge to all new parents for the next two years. November 2004: One World One Child Fund raiser is held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City to benefit CHEC and Arts for Healing, a not-for-profit music and art therapy center reaching children and adults with developmental and learning disabilities. Olivia Newton-John, the award-winning singer, songwriter and actor was honored for her help in establishing CHEC in 1992 and her decade-long service as its national spokesperson and continuing advocate as a member of the CHEC Board of Directors. She has conveyed CHEC’s message about children’s environmental health to hundreds of millions of people worldwide due to her worldwide celebrity. Additional honoree, Dr. Clive Robbins, a co-originator of Creative Music Therapy, received recognition by Arts for Healing for his innovative approach to music therapy, developed 40 years ago, that is used today in centers worldwide dedicated to its application with children and adults living with developmental disabilities. June 2005: Healthy Babies, Healthy Kids, a Green Power Baby Shower, at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica held to educate celebrity parents and friends about simple eco-savvy solutions to use inside and outside the home to reduce babies’ exposures to toxins. Actors/Activists Ed Begley, Jr and Bynthe Danner greet the more than 300 attendees. Educational presentations by pediatricians Dr.Alan Greene, author of “From First Kicks to First Steps”, and Harvey Karp, CHEC Board Member and author of best-selling books The Happiest Baby on the Block and The Happiest Toddler on the Block. The Event was sponsored by CHEC and EMA: The Environmental Media Association. October/November 2005: Los Angeles Magazine-sponsored Design House Showcase Tour 2005 features the green home designed and constructed by architect and CHEC Co-Founder James Chuda, known for his groundbreaking work in the field of environmental design opens to the public to benefit CHEC. Home sets precedent for holistic and ecological architecture. Built into the hills under the legendary Hollywood sign, it offers a blueprint for a nontoxic healthy habitat, utilizing building materials and techniques that are protective of human health and the environment. Special Los Angeles Magazine supplement in November edition features Healthy Home designers, products and follow up contact information. Leonardo DiCaprio does a walk through of the home with the founders of CHEC, Nancy and Jim Chuda as seen on Oprah.