MAY 21, 2009 ISSUE
Childhood Obesity Project Hosts Family FunFest at Boone Mall May 30
On Saturday, May 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., the Watauga County Childhood Obesity Prevention Demonstration Project will wrap up its seven-month series of events by celebrating the accomplishments of its participants with Family FunFest. The event is open to all ages and is free of charge.
Family FunFest will feature a number of activities for participants of all ages including inflatables—a giant rock wall, giant slide, obstacle course, moon walk and more—and a hula-hoop contest. There will also be free food samples from our Healthy Cooking Contest finalists, as well as budget-friendly cooking tips.
During the last several months, the Watauga County Childhood Obesity Prevention Demonstration Project has consisted of local grant partners working together to enact new slim and trim initiatives to get both kids and parents eating healthier, exercising and feeling good. Participating partners included the Appalachian District Health Department, Watauga County Healthy Carolinians in the role of partnership development, Appalachian Regional Healthcare overseeing employee wellness, Watauga County Schools, the Town of Boone, ASU, Blue Ridge Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, The Children’s Council of Watauga County and N.C. Access Care of the Blue Ridge.
“I think the biggest thing really was just the partnership,” said Project Coordinator Bryan Belcher. “Just to see everybody come together to work on this one problem. It’s just huge to have all those people. It’s been a fun challenge. It’s been really awesome to have the resources into the community. I’ve never seen so many people work together.”
Belcher said that the school wellness component of the program has been successful at getting school children more active. School’s received Nintendo Wii gaming consoles to get kids moving and many created wellness rooms. Also, the project prompted many schools to begin screening students based on their body mass index, which Belcher calls “a pretty big deal.”
According to Belcher, there is uncertainty as to whether or not the project will continue to be funded amid the current stage budget crisis. However, Belcher said that he believes the various local agencies will continue to work together toward the common goal of improving health among local kids and adults.
The Childhood Obesity Project has worked in concert with the Eat Smart, Move More N.C. program, which seeks to reverse the rising tide of obesity and chronic disease among North Carolinians by helping them to eat smart, move more and achieve a healthy weight.
The program encourages communities, schools and businesses to make it easy for people to eat healthy food and be physically active, as well as to encourage individuals to think differently about what they eat and how much they move, and to make choices that will help them feel good and live better.
For more information on Family FunFest, call Childhood Obesity Prevention Demonstration Project Assistant Juliana Whitaker at 828-264-4995 or email julianaw@apphealth.com.
Want To Go?
Date: Saturday, May 30
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Boone Mall
Cost: Free
Win a $100 Prize at the Watauga Community Healthy Cooking Contest
The Watauga County Childhood Obesity Prevention Demonstration Project will host a community Healthy Cooking Contest during its Family FunFest at Boone Mall on Satuday, May 30. The contest is open to all ages. Participants must submit a registration and recipe by 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26. Finalists will be contacted on Wednesday, May 27.
Final recipes will be chosen by the nutritional value, ease of preparation and cost of ingredients. Finalists of the Healthy Cooking Contest will be chosen from the contest submissions and will square off during Family FunFest by preparing the recipe and giving away free samples from noon to 1:00 p.m.
There will be two winners from the Healthy Recipe finalists and each will win a $100 shopping card to Boone Mall. Winners will be chosen for Local Favorite Healthy Recipe and Judges’ Favorite Healthy Recipe Winner.
Festival attendees will have the chance to sample the cuisine and then vote for their favorite healthy recipe. The Judges’ Favorite Healthy Recipe winner will be judged on the overall recipe—the nutritional value, ease of preparation, cost of ingredients and most importantly, taste. Celebrity judges include All About Women’s Sherrie Norris, Sen. Steve Goss, Rep.Cullie Tarleton and RaysWeather.com’s Ray Russell.
Registration forms can be picked up and submitted at Lowe’s Foods, the Watauga County Health Department and Boone Mall until Tuesday, May 26. Entries—including name, age, address, phone number, recipe name, list of ingredients and recipe instructions—can also be mailed to Appalachian District Health Department, Attn: Juliana Whitaker, 126 Poplar Grove Connector, Boone, NC 28607.
For more information, call Whitaker at 828-264-4995.
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