New How iPlay guide launched to help families of all abilities get out and play!

San Francisco, CA, Sept. 23— Saturday, Sept. 24, Nickelodeon will bring for the first time its flagship Worldwide Day of Play (WWDOP) event to the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., for the biggest celebration of active play in the thriving eight-year history of the initiative.  AbilityPath.org, a national online resource hub and special needs community, joins as a partner this year to bring opportunities of engagement for kids with special needs and disabilities.

AbilityPath.org in partnership with Special Olympics and Best Buddies will host A Unity Dance Party on the Ellipse for the WWDOP event and will be encouraging families and kids around the world to celebrate WWDOP by hosting their own Unity Dance Party in their community.

In addition to the Unity Dance Party, AbilityPath.org and Nickelodeon developed How iPlay, a guide for families including tips, resources and a collection of stories showing how kids with special needs and disabilities play in their communities and encouraging kids of all abilities to join in WWDOP activities.  “How iPlay is a testament to the spirit and commitment of individual kids, families and communities coming together to make play accessible for all,” said Sheryl Young, CEO of AbilityPath.org.  “People might not associate surfing, mountain climbing, marching bands, soccer and gymnastics with disabilities, but How iPlay shows that the only limitations are those people impose; How iPlay shows that anything is possible with a little dedication and creativity,” notes Young.

Best Buddies, Special Olympics, AYSO VIP Program, The Stephen Wampler Foundation, Patrick Henry Hughes and The Love of Chance Center and Surfers Healing are all featured and partners of the How iPlay book.

“Best Buddies is honored to be part of this world-wide effort, and would like to commend Nickelodeon for its efforts in promoting inclusion,” said Anthony K. Shriver, Founder and Chairman, Best Buddies International. “Through Best Buddies’ friendship programs, we encourage our volunteers to see their peers with intellectual and developmental disabilities for their abilities. And, I can’t think of a better way to do so than through the simple act of play, which is something everyone can do, and something everyone can do even better with a friend. Hopefully the Worldwide Day of Play and the How iPlay guide will help others recognize this, as well.”

"Play is such an important part of life, not only to be physically happy, but emotionally happy too," shared Timothy P. Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics. "At Special Olympics, we Play unified to live unified taking every opportunity for communities to benefit from activities with our athletes with intellectual disabilities."

In addition to WWDOP anchored this year in Washington, D.C., there are more than 4,000 confirmed local WWDOP events that will take place across the U.S. and also in countries throughout the year including Germany, France, India, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Scotland, Sweden and Tanzania.

More than 25 of Nickelodeon's most popular stars will travel to Washington to participate in WWDOP activities and events as part of the network's ongoing commitment to advancing awareness of healthy and active lifestyles.  On hand will be cast members and characters from the network's hit series, including iCarly (Jennette McCurdy, Nathan Kress, Noah Munck and Jerry Trainor); Victorious (Victoria Justice, Daniella Monet, Elizabeth Gillies, Ariana Grande, Avan Jogia, Leon Thomas III and Matt Bennett); Keke Palmer of True Jackson, VP; Big Time Rush; SpongeBob SquarePants; Dora the Explorer; the Fresh Beat Band; Supah Ninjas (Ryan Potter, Gracie Dzienny and Carlos Knight), Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures (Taylor Gray, Dillon Lane and Ashley Argota) and the forthcoming live-action series, How to Rock (Cymphonique Miller and Max Schneider).

How iPlay and ways kids and families can get involved with WWDOP are available at www.abilitypath.org as well as www.worldwidedayofplay.com.

ABOUT ABILITYPATH.ORG

AbilityPath.org is an online hub and special needs community for parents and professionals to learn, connect and live a more balanced life - through all phases of a child's growth and development. The website combines social networking features with expert content from AbilityPath.org’s team of educators, parents, therapists and medical professionals. AbilityPath.org was created by Community Gatepath, a nonprofit with over 90 years of experience serving families and children with special needs in the San Francisco Bay Area.  AbilityPath.org may also be found on Twitter (@abilitypath) and Facebook.com/abilitypath.

ABOUT NICKELODEON

Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com.  Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

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