NILES —  On May 1, Howard-Ellis Elementary students will join the nation in an effort to fight obesity and heart disease with a dedicated day of exercise.

The event, called All Children Exercise Simultaneously, was initiated by Len Saunders, a physical education teacher from New Jersey. Saunders started the effort in 1989.  Len and HJ Saunders, of The Youth Fitness Coalition, now organize the event each year.

For ACES, millions of children from all 50 states and more than 50 countries are going to join the excitement.  In 2009, The American College Of Sports Medicine  became a partner in the Project ACES program.

Physical education teacher Elizabeth Green said she will organize the project locally. She anticipates at least 713 children taking part in the evnet.

For more information, those interested can visit the Project ACES website at projectaces.com.