CHI St. Alexius Health and the ARC are challenging fifth and sixth graders in Williston to get to steppin’ — stepping into healthy choices, that is.
CHI has partnered with the Blue Cross Blue Shield Caring Foundation, the Williston Parks and Recreation District, along with Bakken Elementary and Williston Trinity Christian School for the Steps Across America Challenge, aimed at motivating kids to get up and get moving.
Based on the CDC’s recommendation that individuals take 10,000 steps per day, Steps Across America challenges the students, along with their parents and teachers, to try and take as many steps as they can to “walk” across America.
“We want to help kids learn to be more active and use their time more appropriately,” Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Joe Stonehocher told the Williston Herald. “A lot of kids nowadays get home from school and they sit in front of the iPad or the TV, mindlessly eating instead of paying attention to the choices of the food that they’re putting inside of them. So it’s a big thing to help get them active and get them excited about being active.”
Stonehocher was joined by Sarah Tebo, Pre-Kindergarten aide at Trinity Christian and Groove Facilitator at the ARC, who shared with the students the importance of making healthy choices and staying active. Tebo had the kids join her in a “Move and Groove” activity, getting them out of their seats and jumping, dancing and running along to some high-energy music.
Stonehocher, Tebo and other representatives from CHI and the ARC had multiple kick-off assemblies for students at Bakken and Trinity Christian, who are competing during the 40-day challenge to see who can get the most steps, as well as who can take all the steps needed to make it across the country.
A total of 800 pedometers were given out to the students to help them keep track of their steps, and as an added incentive, the ARC is giving free admission to the students for the 40 days of the challenge, giving them a venue to run, play and be active.
The classroom that makes it across America the fastest and that takes the most steps will earn a field to the ARC for a day full of fun and play.
Source: Mitch Melberg - Williston Herald