February 8, 2010

Childhood obesity is of particular concern to all of us at Children’s Friend.   About 25% of the kids receiving WIC services in Pawtucket and Central Falls are considered obese.  The state average is only 20%. With this knowledge we decided to do something about it.

We believe that it is easy to tell people to have a more active lifestyle, but it is equally important to show them how to be more active.  And we all know that it is not easy to find safe and affordable opportunities to exercise, nor is it easy to find bi-lingual activities.  With the support of Aim High Gymnastic Academy and their Mobile Gym we turned our WIC sites into “Gymnasiums”.

Over 50 kids participated in the exciting event. Kids were actively engaged in fun activities all geared to a healthier lifestyle. They were read stories about healthy eating and exercising in English and Spanish, learned how to stretch on mats, climbed through amazing obstacle courses and raced around on scooters!

The event was a huge success and we are grateful to the commitment of our employees and partner organizations like Aim High Gymnastic Academy.

-Aimee Mitchell

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