Who is the best personal exercise trainer in Tallahassee? What restaurant offers the healthiest menu options? What is the best exercise class to help lose the “pot belly”? Over a period of four weeks, nearly 1,000 Tallahassee area residents cast their votes online at www.TallyFitnessFestival.com for the FIT Awards, the community’s opportunity to recognize the best local fitness and health care professionals. FIT Awards will be provided to those individuals and businesses who exemplify Fitness, Inspiration and Training within their respective profession. FIT Awards will be announced at the official Tallahassee Fitness Festival kick-off event scheduled to take place at 11 am on Thursday, November 13 at the Leon County Visitors Center in downtown Tallahassee. The festival is supported in part by the Tallahassee Sports Council (TSC), a division of the Tallahassee Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which sees the event as an opportunity to promote health and fitness in Tallahassee. "The Tallahassee Sports Council is proud to sponsor the kick-off of the Tallahassee Fitness Festival," said Brian Hickey, TSC executive director. “The TSC has a strong focus on competitive sports, but personal fitness is so important to all of our lives. Citizens living an active and healthy lifestyle is beneficial to all Tallahasseeans, and improving knowledge of health and fitness is the strongest component of combating obesity and is an important goal for us.” Produced by local event planning companies, Eventions and Your Social Butterfly, The Tallahassee Fitness Festival is a one-day opportunity to experience the latest exercise classes, home gym equipment and health and nutrition products. Packed with “power” presentations by some of the industry’s most respected experts, the event features more than 150 local and national vendors who will conduct FREE health screenings, provide FREE health and fitness information and FREE product samples. The 2009 event, which is slated to take place on January 31 at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center, will also introduce new activities such as the Healthy Eats Cooking Stage and the Weight Room Competition.