By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
The Hillsborough Family YMCA, on East Mountain Road, will participate in the 18th annual Healthy Kids Day April 18, with the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles.
And that means there will be plenty of fun and free activities for the whole family at the event created by the YMCA of the USA.
”It is done to make people more aware of what they can do to have a healthy lifestyle,” said Donna Dass, public relations director for the Somerset Valley YMCA. “It looks at every facet of life and gets people up off the couch.”
The event, Ms. Dass said, will feature arts and crafts; healthy snacks; a fitness challenge with different levels to move through, including doing jumping jacks; free swimming; a family yoga class; and a family zumba class, which combines dance and aerobics with Latin music, among other activities. Aside from these, she said, the YMCA is still finalizing all the activities.
In addition, Ms. Dass said, there will be information available about the YMCA’s upcoming camp programs.
Also featured at the event, Ms. Dass said, will be basketball with Mayor Frank DelCore, where participating children will have the opportunity to shoot hoops with the mayor or possibly play a real game.
”It is really important to get kids out,” Mayor DelCore said of the benefits of this program. “If we can promote fitness among kids and get them out playing a physical activity, (it’s great).”
In 2008, Ms. Dass said, the program attracted about 200 people, mostly elementary school-age children with their families. The free event, however, is open to the entire community, not only those who are members of the YMCA.
Participation in this program, Mayor DelCore said, runs in conjunction with the Mayor’s Wellness Campaign, a statewide program that promotes healthy living among residents. In the coming months, he said, the township is planning a health walk at Ann Van Middlesworth Park, as well as a possible bicycle program.
In addition, the township held Kids Nights Out at the Hillsborough Racquetball Club twice in March. The programs were held for different age groups and allowed kids to play dodge ball, racquetball, swim or do yoga, among other activities.
”We are going to try to do this once a month for different age groups,” Mayor DelCore said. He said there was a great turnout for both events, so the township and racquetball club are hoping to continue them in the future.
As a nationwide program, Healthy Kids Day will be celebrated at more than 1,700 YMCAs across the country. It is supported by such donors as Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Tropicana, Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney, and by such organizations as the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association.
”In this economy, what could be better than doing something with the family that doesn’t cost anything?” Ms. Dass said.
Healthy Kids Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit the Web site at ymcasomersetvalley.org.
For more information on the Mayor’s Wellness Program, visit the township Web site at hillsborough-nj.org.
