Second Annual Nebraska Kids Fitness and Nutrition Day To be Held September 25th

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Third-grade students from Scotts Bluff County will learn about health and wellness at the second annual Nebraska Kids Fitness and Nutrition Day set for Tuesday, September 25 at the YMCA Trails West Camp from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Martha Stricker, community health nurse for the Scotts Bluff County Health Department and Regional West Medical Center, said that third grade is a good level to work with because the students also participate in the “Body Walk” at Western Nebraska Community College where they learn about body structure and function.

“These two events combined will reinforce the importance of being physically active and making healthy food choices,” said Stricker.       

The first annual Nebraska on the Move Kids Fitness and Nutrition Day was held in 2004 at the University of Nebraska-Kearney campus. The 2004 event drew approximately 450 fourth-graders from the Kearney area. This year, the interactive day of physical activity and nutrition education event will be held at sites in Kearney, Hastings, McCook, Chadron, Sidney and Scottsbluff. Over 450 third-graders will be participating in the Scottsbluff event.    

Among the volunteers assisting with the various activities is YMCA staff, Adopt-A School Partners, UNMC nursing students, UNL Extension staff, area registered dieticians and numerous community partners. In addition, members of the WNCC men and women’s soccer teams will also be helping that day.     

When they arrive, third-graders will be divided into two groups, with one group focusing on physical activities and the second group focusing on educational nutrition stations. The students will work in their respective stations and then trade places after a nutritious lunch.     

Some of the physical activities include step aerobics, Tae Kwon Do, Boot Camp and Obstacle Courses. Nutrition stations will teach the youth about hand washing, healthy snacks and MyPyramid, the new USDA standard nutrition guidelines.   

Stricker said that the overall purpose of the event is to open the eyes of young people to consider how physical activity and nutrition work together to maintain health. She said that if they can find a physical activity that they truly enjoy doing or an activity in which they excel, they may be more active and therefore healthier in the future.         

The Scotts Bluff County Health Department and Regional West Community Health Department is sponsoring the activities for the day, along with the Scottsbluff YMCA, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the Nebraska Beef Council, University of Nebraska Extension and University of Nebraska College of Nursing.

For more information contact Martha Stricker, R.N., Scotts Bluff County Health Department/Regional West Medical Center Community Health Department (308) 630-1559.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,400 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, Regional West offers care that spans more than 40 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is one of only three Level II Trauma Centers in the state of Nebraska.