Thursday, May 7, 2015

Hockomock Area YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day® free community event set for May 16 at Patriot Place in Foxborough

On Saturday, May 16, the Hockomock Area YMCA is celebrating Healthy Kids Day® with a free community event that encourages kids to be active and provides families with options and methods for living healthier lives. The event will take place at Patriot Place in Foxborough from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fun, creative, and healthy activities for children will take place at NRG Plaza, located outside The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon.


Healthy Kids Day
Healthy Kids Day

“The Y encourages families to attend YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the largest health day for families nationally,” said Ed Hurley, president of the Hockomock Area YMCA. “As part of our Y’s commitment to healthy living, our goal is to teach healthy habits for kids and families, encouraging active play, and inspiring a lifetime love of physical activity.”

Healthy Kids Day aligns perfectly with the Hockomock Y’s Healthy Futures initiative, an innovative program sponsored by Stop & Shop and committed to reducing inactivity and poor nutrition in the 15 communities served by the Hockomock Area YMCA.

“Healthy Kids Day reinforces the importance of our Healthy Futures initiative and encourages kids and families to keep their minds and bodies active, and ultimately live healthier lifestyles,” said Hurley. “We’re grateful to Patriot Place for partnering with us to host this event and are proud to be collaborating with Norwood Hospital as an event sponsor and so many other community partners who support our Y.”

The day will feature active play and educational activities, including youth and family fitness challenges, gymnastics obstacle courses, Dana-Farber’s Blum Family Van doing skin cancer screening and education, STEM learning activities, 30 minute infant and child CPR demos, photo booths, caricature art, air brush tattoos, arts and crafts, story time, seed planting, dance party, and more. Many of the favorite activities that are hosted at Hockomock Y camps each summer will be running on half-hour schedules, including tie-dye camp tee shirts, Survivor Challenge, Gaga Pit ball game, Messy Week activity, and Olympic Week games.

Fitness classes will also be held throughout the day, including Zumba, Boot Camp, and Yoga.


Pat the Patriot
Pat the Patriot

A special Healthy Kids Day autograph signing session will take place and the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will be in attendance with information on the NFL Play 60 campaign and the New England Kids Triathlon. The New England Revolution will be participating with an inflatable obstacle course, team mascot Slyde the Fox, and a chance to win tickets to a match. Prizes, coupons and goody bags will also be part of the day.

The community is invited to participate in the Y’s Healthy Futures Food Drive taking place now at YMCA branches in Foxborough, Franklin, and North Attleboro and concluding at Healthy Kids Day. Healthy Futures Franklin will be hosting a ‘Stuff a Truck Challenge’ benefiting the Franklin Food Pantry. The Franklin Food Pantry will bring their mobile pantry truck to the event and challenge the community to fill it with healthier food items. For a complete listing of donation requests, visit hockymca.org.

Dorel Juvenile Group will hold car seat safety checkpoints in the parking lot outside of the Plaza. Families are encouraged to bring their vehicles for a check. Speak with a technician about proper car seat installation and receive useful child passenger safety tips.

Community partners include Stop & Shop — the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Healthy Futures Initiative sponsor, Norwood Hospital, and participating Patriot Place businesses, including Bass Pro Shops, Brigham and Women’s/Mass General Health Care Center at Foxborough, B&W Rehabilitation Services, B&W Dermatology Services, Olympia Sports, 5 Wits, Reebok, and Splitsville Luxury Lanes and Howl at the Moon.

Other Healthy Kids Day partners include: 103.3 AMP Radio Street Team, Fuel Up to Play 60, Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol County, Fire and Police Safety, Kids Melanoma Prevention Foundation, MA Safe Routes to School, MGA Links/First Tee, Mansfield Community Garden, Milford Regional Medical Center, Miscoe Hill Skippers Jump Rope Team, Norwood Hospital, Pediatric Dental Health Care, RWL Weightlifting, Inc, Sturdy Memorial Hospital, Way Better Snacks, and WIC Nutrition Program.

“We’re thrilled to host the Hockomock Area YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day and be a part of the event again this year,” said Brian Earley, general manager of Patriot Place. “Patriot Place is proud to partner with such an innovative, mission-driven YMCA. Encouraging lifelong education and an enthusiasm for learning are key components of the Y’s youth development work and we are happy to support the Y’s dedication to provide families with further opportunities to learn, grow and have fun together.”

In celebration of YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day, the Y offers the following tips to help families develop healthy habits:

• High Five the Fruits and Veggies – Make sure kids get at least five servings a day, the minimum number nutritionists recommend to maintain healthy childhood development.
• Foster an Early and Ongoing Passion for Books – Read to and with your kids. Help children read at every age and every stage of their development.
• Team Up for Athletic Events – Set a family goal of great health by teaming up for community or charity events like races, walks, fun runs, bike rides, etc.
• Volunteer Together – Find a cause that matters to the kids. Open their eyes to a world beyond themselves and the rich rewards that come from making a difference.
• Lead By Example – Be a good role model – kids can be influenced by seeing how hard their parents work at home or on the job, and how rewarding that experience is.


About The Hockomock Area YMCA

Where Cause Meets Community. At the Hockomock Area YMCA, strengthening community is our cause. The Hockomock Area YMCA is an organization of men, women, and children sharing a commitment to nurture the potential of kids, promote healthy living, and foster a sense of social responsibility.

Our YMCA is committed to partnering and collaborating with others to create and deliver lasting personal and social change in the 15 communities we are privileged to serve. The Hockomock Area YMCA is a not-for-profit charitable cause-driven organization with facilities in North Attleboro, Foxboro, Franklin, and Mansfield. For more information visit hockymca.org.


ABOUT PATRIOT PLACE

Patriot Place is a shopping, dining and entertainment destination located adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Patriot Place features large and boutique retailers, 17 casual to high-end restaurants and other nightlife venues. Among the highlights of Patriot Place are New England’s first Bass Pro Shops, a state-of-the-art, 14-screen Showcase Cinema De Lux, the 16,000-square-foot CBS Scene Restaurant & Bar, the award-winning Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon, the retro-style bowling alley, Splitsville Luxury Lanes featuring live entertainment by Howl at the Moon, and the four-star Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel. For more information, visit www.patriot-place.com, follow Patriot Place on Twitter (twitter.com/patriotplace) or like Patriot Place on Facebook (facebook.com/patriotplace).

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