By Peggy Linton
Visit the Olive Branch Family YMCA at any time and you will see active young people working to improve their health in fun and motivational ways.
The YMCA has been successful in integrating physical activity and nutrition education programs into its daily activity schedule as well as summer camps and after-school programs.
Olive Branch Family YMCA’s mission is to put Christian principles into practice through programs that build a healthy spirit, mind and body for all.
The DeSoto County Community Health Council recognized the quality programs offered to youths in the area of physical fitness and nutrition and for this reason has awarded the Olive Branch Family YMCA the June Health Champion Recognition.
Youths can take part in one or more activities relating to healthy lifestyles: Kids Fit Aerobic Classes; Youth Strength Training and Conditioning program; Alpha Center Teen work out area for 13- to 15-year-olds; Special Needs Athletic and Aquatic program; Nutrition Education Counseling; swim lessons (6 months to 17 years); and youth sports, such as soccer, basketball, cheerleading, Thai boxing, martial arts and swim team, competitive and recreational.
The Summer Enrichment Camp offers a variety of lessons on healthy lifestyle such as celebrating Nutrition Week, when the dietician led “Jeopardy”-like games on eating healthy; health presentations; tobacco prevention games and activities; physical education classes; body walk; and the Power Panther, part of the USDA’s Nutrition program. Healthy Kids Day is observed annually and offers an opportunity for parents to learn along side their children.
Getting kids on the right track at an early age is important to the YMCA. They offer Kids Corner, a preschool curriculum including nutrition and physical fitness. The after-school program incorporates both physical activity and nutrition components. Home- schooled classes are offered for swimming and physical education.
“The DeSoto County Community Health Council is proud to recognize the Olive Branch Family YMCA for their outstanding achievements in advocating healthy lifestyles for the entire community,” said Mellany Evans, chairwoman of the DeSoto County Community Health Council. “We are impressed that their list of services is all- encompassing by including programming for all ages from youth to seniors; a program which specifically focuses on those with special needs; and as their mission statement proclaims, they truly are building healthy spirit, mind and body for all.”
“I am proud that the YMCA has been recognized as a health champion in DeSoto County. The YMCA has been in existence since 1844 and since 1855 in the Mid-South area,” says Jim Robinson, executive director of Olive Branch Family YMCA. “A short time later, in 1869, the first health and wellness components were introduced at YMCAs across the country. The Olive Branch Family YMCA is proud to be serving individuals, children and families for the past three years. It is often said about the Y that . ‘there are programs for everyone of all ages at the Y.’ That is a very true statement. Being a YMCA located in Mississippi, we focus many of our programs to help combat the obesity issues facing our state. From our Kids Fit classes to senior water aerobics or Youth Strength Training classes to Senior Strength Training classes they all focus on developing healthier lifestyles.”
The Community Health Council is a component of the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi’s GET A LIFE! initiative and seeks nominations from throughout the county to recognize a Monthly Health Champion. Do you know an individual, group, church, school, or business that you feel is an advocate for healthy lifestyles in DeSoto County? Send your nomination to Peggy Linton at [email protected] or fax to 662-449-5006. For more information and healthy tips visit kidsgetalife.org.
Peggy Linton is community development director Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi
Originally published by Peggy Linton Special to My Life .
(c) 2008 Commercial Appeal, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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